


No One Would Blame Him

by JosephineStone



Series: My Dark/Hurt fics [12]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, M/M, Mindfuck, Multi, Rape/Non-con Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-02 02:56:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5231267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephineStone/pseuds/JosephineStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's life was perfect, until Scorpius Malfoy saw the cracks and decided to shatter it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It's Tea

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, Candamira, for looking through this with me, and helping me make it so much better than it was in the beginning. And to the mods for being patient with me and for running this awesome fest!

**August 1998**

Harry should have gone to bed when Ron had. Hermione was the only one up at the Burrow, curled up by the fire reading a book. He sat on the couch reading _Advanced Defence_ and thinking about how much different their lives would be now that the war was over. Hermione cleared her throat, and Harry knew what was coming.

'Learning anything interesting?'

'Yeah,' Harry replied but didn't look up.

Harry would be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at the same time that Hermione was going back to take her seventh year. Although she hadn't come out and said it, she thought he was too young for the job, and Harry was going to pretend to be dense until she admitted it. He wouldn't be the first one to be that young when starting a career as a Professor—Snape, for example, was only a year older when he'd accepted his teaching position at Hogwarts. Because of the war, Harry was in the same position. He would get to study for his professorship at the same time as teaching.

Snape was dead, and they were once again desperate for teachers, and he'd already proven to be a good one as well as a master at Defence. 

'Only about Defence?' Hermione kept dropping hints that he needed to learn more than the subject he'd be teaching. Heavy hints often in the form of books it would take him months to read left on his bed.

'You're not just responsible for our education,' Hermione said as she tried to get her point across to Harry, which he still wasn't getting, 'but also for our wellbeing.' 

'Well,' Harry said, 'I did just die for you a few months ago.' He'd always been concerned about their wellbeing. They were his friends.

She gave him a tight-lipped smiled. 'I know . . . it's more about how you go about your relationships with your students. You can't just be our friend, anymore.'

'I don't see the problem, Hermione. You can be friends with your teachers. I don't think I'll have any trouble with you in my class, and the younger years—'

'I'm not worried about me or the younger years.'

The silence stretched as he waited for her to say what she was worried about. That it wasn't about their specific relationship surprised him.

'Are you and Ginny back together?'

'Um, yeah.' They hadn't talked about it, but he felt as though they kind of already had. It was just like they were dating again. They spent their free time together, they kissed, and they didn't deny it when people asked.

'How does the school feel about you dating one of your students?' She watched Harry's reaction, which must have been just what she expected because she huffed and said, 'you hadn't thought about that, had you?'

'But we were together before—'

'Did you ask?'

'I'm sure McGonagall knows.'

'That you're together again, or that Ginny is taking your NEWT class?' Hermione rolled her eyes. 'You didn't even know Ginny was taking your NEWT class, did you?' He hadn't, but she continued without waiting for him to answer. 'There are many reason, your authority over us being only one of them, and favouritism—'

'You think I'd give her high marks just because we're dating? Besides, I had authority when I was the Quidditch Captain.' 

Hermione's eyebrows shot up. 'Oh, and there was no favoritism there?'

'Ginny is an excellent Quidditch player!'

She looked amused, and Harry was preparing a speech about how Ginny could be a professional player when Hermione said, 'I meant Ron.'

'You had more to do with that than I did.' During Ron's tryouts, she'd confounded the other Keeper, ensuring him a spot on the Gryffindor team.

'True.' She nodded. 'But you knew, and you were the team captain. I was just a spectator.' 

'Hermione, it will be fine. Ginny and I are together, but I will give her fair marks. You'll be there, and I'll give you fair marks. Besides, the NEWTs are your real test. People will talk, but they've been through this before. Snape was near my age when he began teaching.' Not that Snape had to teach any of his friends, but he hoped Hermione wouldn't bring that part up. He certainly would have taught some of the students he went to school with. They would have simply been in the younger years.

That seemed to calm her a bit, and she shrugged. 'If you think so—I am happy for you, Harry. Don't think that I'm not. It's just—Snape didn't have girls slipping him love potions, you think?'

#

Hermione was right about the love potions, but Harry was good at avoiding them. As long as he didn't eat anything an admirer gave him, he was pretty safe. But Harry did get his first kiss from a girl who stayed after the rest of the club had left in his fifth year, and he couldn't help but think of that every time one of his sixth or seventh-year students found a reason to stay late after class.

This time, it was Ginny who'd stayed after class.

With her around, he was mostly left alone. She simply couldn't always be around, and wouldn't be around forever. She had no interest in being a teacher, and after the year ended she'd be leaving with Ron and Hermione to start her own career, to start her own life.

She smiled at him in an overly infatuated way with a goofy smile on her face. 'Oh, Professor,' she mocked the girls who asked him ridiculous questions to get his attention, 'can you show me again how to hold my wand to cast the Patronus?' She dropped the act as she took the last steps to his desk, and rolling her eyes finished, 'when really all they want is touch your prick.'

They weren't working on the Patronus in class; was she thinking of Cho as well?

It was silent as they waited for the other one to speak first. Harry glanced at the papers on his desk. Assignments he needed to get to grading. When he looked back at her, her eyes had drifted toward them as well. 

Hermione had been right. It was harder than he thought it'd be. 

If Ginny hadn't been his student if they weren't her peers, he'd probably tell her bits about them. She could be that support he needed when he wasn't feeling sure of himself, like how a significant other was supposed to be. But as it was a thick, silent wall was building between them. 

Like then. Anything negative she said would seem childish. Anything positive he said would seem unsympathetic. 

He wanted to say that they weren't that bad. There were only a few girls and one boy in all his classes that did anything like that, and only one of them happened to share a class with Ginny. But he can't defend girls flirting with him. There would always be girls flirting with him. He was used to the hot and cold of approval from the masses around him, but he'd defeated Voldemort so it would be a heat wave for probably the next fifty years. 

There was no more speculation—he was the Chosen One.

Their eyes met, and he took her hand, pulling her toward him. He gave her a quick kiss. But when he pulled back she followed him, continuing and deepening the kiss. He broke away and pushed himself back into his chair. Ginny came around his desk to lean against it with their knees slightly brushing each others. Her legs just on the inside of his. 

'I've always wanted to do it on a desk.'

Harry felt his eyes widen as he fumbled for words. 

They hadn't even done it yet. Ginny leaned back further, her right hand landing on the essays he needed to grade that afternoon, as Harry grew hard at her implications. When they were at Hogwarts together, there hadn't been a place; when they were at her house, there hadn't been privacy; when they'd returned to Hogwarts that year, and he had a private room, she wasn't allowed in it—it turned into part of that silent wall that was building between them. 

Not that she was allowed there. Sitting on his desk, slowing spreading her legs wider, waiting for him to turn her down. Because, of course, he had to. Any second. Her feet were brushing against his knees, and she trailed her toes up between his legs. In a minute. There would never be an explanation for her being in his room, but in the classroom— 

If they kept their clothes on and just— 

If he put a spell on the door to alert them if— 

If he added another to make it stick instead of—

#

Harry couldn't keep the stupid grin off his face. He was in the library with Ron and Hermione as they studied and he planned the advanced class lessons. Ron shook his head at Harry, but Hermione glared at him when she was willing to look at him at all.

They didn't eat together anymore as he was staff, and he couldn't hang out in the Gryffindor common room for the same reason. So most of their time together was spent in the library.

'I don't want to know,' Ron joked under his breath. It was his sister after all, but they knew. It was so obvious, of course. It had been obvious after Ron and Hermione's first time as well. He hadn't glared at them when they'd done it.

'It's Ginny,' Harry said, trying to get Hermione to see reason. She wasn't just his student. No one except Hermione cared.

'Who else would it be?' Ron asked confused, and then seeing Hermione's reaction his expression became bewildered. 

'She's one of your students,' Hermione said.

Harry shook his head and went back to taking down notes. He'd found it interesting how much being a teacher felt much like being a student. He still studied, and he still took notes and wrote essays. Only all his tests were oral reports. Harry preferred the children critics to the adult ones.

'What are you on about?' Ron leaned toward Hermione as if trying to keep the conversation between just the two of them. 'They were together before that.'

'I just don't find it appropriate.'

Ron looked to Harry. 'Is this some sort of Muggle thing?'

Both Hermione and Harry looked at Ron in surprise then.

'Teachers can't have romantic relationships with their students,' Hermione said as if this were common sense, which Harry did have to agree it was. He agreed wholeheartedly with it as well, except he and Ginny were a special case. Wars created a lot of special cases. If only he could make Hermione see that. 

'It's a Muggle thing then.' Ron shrugged. 'Wizards don't care much what people get up into as long as it's all consensual. It's like the two blokes thing.' When he received confused looks from them, Ron explained, 'Finch-Fletchley said something about him being surprised that Malfoy's parents were so accepting of him being into blokes. It's just not something we care about. To each their own. I mean, they do care about blood-purity, but marriage is about combining families and pure-bloodlines to them.' Then Ron laughed. 'That's where the kinky Slytherin jokes come from. That their parents are pretty free with that type of stuff, so they're allowed to do pretty much whatever as long as they don't have unapproved children in the process.'

Hermione glared at Ron. 'But when Viktor Krum and I were dating, and what about articles speculating Dumbledore's relationship with Harry?'

'Oi, I said we didn't care so much about it, not that Wizards were above gossip. It wouldn't have been illegal for—' Ron turned beet red as he glanced at Harry. 'Well, anyway. Using someone or cheating is still very looked down on, but if you're in an arranged marriage where it is agreed upon, that's not cheating, is it? And a teacher dating a student isn't cheating. Blokes being together isn't cheating. So yeah, a Muggle thing.'

Although Hermione seemed to have run out of arguments, she shook her head. 'It's most definitely not like the homosexuality thing.'

Harry was going to defend himself, again, reminding her that they were in a special circumstance, but he saw Madam Pince glaring at him. As a teacher, he really should be setting a better example. So he kept his mouth shut. Besides, if it wasn't against the rules, then he didn't need to keep fighting with Hermione about it.

It was even harder for Harry not to smile then. 

Being with Ginny wasn't risking his job. 

It was fine.

Harry scribbled a note in the margin of his parchment, now that there were more pressing questions to be answered, and pushed it toward Ron.

Malfoy likes blokes?

It made both his friends smile, Ron shaking his head and Hermione rolling her eyes fondly at him. Harry was glad that some things hadn't changed.

#

The next year, all of Harry's friends were gone. He hadn't anticipated how lonely he would be without them but threw himself into his work and the days went by faster than he'd imagined. When Ron would come out to Hogsmeade and go to a pub with Harry, it was all too obvious how quickly things were changing. Ron went to work with George in his shop. Although the work wasn't stressful, Ron just looked older.

Harry saw the same thing when he looked in the mirror. He looked the part of a teacher more than a student, even though he was only two years older than some of his students. 

And maybe it was because he was still at Hogwarts, but most of the time he didn't feel older.

But the main thing was that Ginny wasn't there, and it changed everything. 

She had kept some of his admirers from doing crazy things. Valentine's Day had been a nightmare of cards, floating hearts, and love potion laden sweets. Harry didn't eat anything all day long. 

And everyday someone was staying behind after class to talk to him about one thing or another. He knew what they were after, and it was hard to keep telling himself he wasn't interested. Even if what they wanted wasn't him but his fame. He sent them away with disappointed expressions while rolling his eyes at himself—at his own disappointment. 

They were attractive, of course, but so was Romilda Vane. 

When he met up with Ginny, it wasn't the same. She was growing up as well and playing Quidditch. She came into his rooms at Hogwarts excited about an upcoming game, even though she was a reserve for her first couple years, and Harry tried to use her excitement to create some of his own. But it still felt like she was slipping through his fingers. With each visit, she asked about him less and less and talked more and more about how her life was changing.

Of course, Harry's life wasn't changing. It was staying the same.

But she was trying to keep them together just as much as he was. When their sex life started to grow stagnant, she'd pulled him over to his desk, and then they'd remember their first time all over again and be giggling like teenagers again.

That was when he asked her to marry him.

Her eyes lit up, and he knew she'd say yes before she did. He didn't even have a ring yet because he hadn't planned on asking her. He just couldn't let her slip away altogether.

'I'm not ready to settle down completely, yet,' Ginny said. 'I want to see where I can go with Quidditch.'

'Okay.'

'So, it will be a while before we can start talking about children.'

'That's fine.'

'I never had any doubt that we'd marry.' She pulled him close and rested her head on his chest. 'I'll always be here for you; you know that right?'

'I know.'

They could make this thing between them work if they both tried hard enough. The distance wouldn't pull them apart. Even if the world changed her while Harry hid from it and stayed the same.

#

It was early June, and there was only a week before school was out for the summer when Harry finally slipped up and ate something without thinking. He could hear Hermione's voice saying, 'What were you thinking!' as the potion spread through him, and he realised what he had done. His last thought before he lost his control over them was that he was going to kill Ron and George because they should have quit selling those potions years ago.

A moment later, he'd sent a note requesting the presence of one of his seventh-year NEWT students: Demelza Robbins.

She had been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team with Harry and was still a Chaser on the team then. Ginny was one of her friends. They'd played Quidditch together for years before Ginny left school. She was a member of Dumbledore's Army and yet still Harry knew little about her. He'd recognise her face, but never had a one on one conversation with her before.

On her way in she was quiet as she stared wide eyed at Harry. 'Have I done something wrong?' she asked nervously, but her eyes were filled with hope. She knew what she'd left for Harry on his desk that day.

'My sweetness,' Harry said, even as he fought against it. 

Demelza's eyes grew even wider as she walked toward Harry. 'Harry?'

'I'm sorry, but I couldn't wait a moment to see you.' Harry grabbed her hands and pulled her to him, and then kissed her as if she were the air he needed to breathe. He pushed her back on top of one of the student's desks, unwilling to waste the time it would take them to make it to his own.

'Yes!' Demelza said and repeated it over and over again, although Harry never asked a question.

Harry had the presence of mind to lock the door. He was aware that what they were doing could get them both into trouble, and he wanted to protect her. He wanted to protect her more than himself. He wanted to protect her more than anyone.

He didn't think of Ginny. Demelza walking through the door had pushed her from his mind. She pushed all thoughts from his mind. When it was over, he wouldn't let her go. 

'I'll come back,' Demelza said, and she fought to get his arms from around her body. 'I promise, right after dinner. I'll always be here for you. I'm always thinking of you.'

'I'm always thinking of you,' Harry said.

A hurt look crossed Demelza's face.

'What's wrong?' Harry reached for her, but she backed away shaking her head.

'N-nothing, but I must go.'

#

The thing about doing something illegal, like dosing someone with a love potion, was there was no turning back. Once you started, you had to continue, or you'd get caught. As well as, the longer you did it, the more likely it became that you'd be caught. Caught in the act of making love to someone who everyone knew had no interest in you, caught giving them a piece of chocolate, caught buying the potion in large amounts because you, obviously, use it every day because you had to.

The thing that was so dangerous about the Weasley's love potions was that they were a weaker version. Everyone said that the strongest ones were the most dangerous because of how obsessive the taker became, but that made them much easier for people to figure out.

If Harry had professed his love for Demelza to all who would hear it, if he owled Ginny and broke up with her, or even flirted with her in front of someone, then someone would have caught on to what was happening much more quickly than they had. Instead, although Harry was in love with her, he had the presence of mind to know what they were doing was wrong. Like how he knew to lock the door. He knew not to stare when people were around them. Not to touch her. That he was engaged to someone else, and that he still loved Ginny at the same time.

Demelza came to see him during his free period daily. Harry told her he loved her as he kissed her mouth, then her neck, down her body, and then between her legs. He'd never enjoyed going down on Ginny, but he did it to please her from time to time. He loved burying his face between Demelza's legs and all the soft, needy sounds she made until she came. 

Ginny came to see him once a month. Harry still loved Ginny, but they'd already been having problems with their sex life. When Ginny pulled him to the desk, and Harry didn't smile but grimaced, she knew something was wrong. It was what worked when nothing else would.

It wasn't the first time that Ginny had suspected love potions at work, but it was the first time she'd been right. 

'How could you be so stupid!' Ginny yelled at Harry in the infirmary.

It stung, but Harry knew it was just because Ginny was worried for him. It had been a stupid mistake to eat that chocolate. He couldn't remember what he was thinking. He was distracted by grading papers. It was just sitting there. He hadn't meant to.

'I told you these girls are dangerous. Who was it? We're pressing charges, and they will go to Azkaban for this.'

'I don't know,' Harry lied. Ginny was upset, and so was he, but Harry didn't want her to make a decision in anger she'd regret later. 'We never had sex. It just happened today, and I hadn't run into h—them yet.'

Ginny glared at Harry, trying to catch him in his lie. 

'You weren't thinking about anyone?' she asked.

Harry shook his head. 

He could deal with Demelza on his own. She wasn't a pretty girl, and though it surprised him she would do this to him, to Ginny, he could understand why she might do it in general. She was a quiet, shy girl who barely spoke to him. Even when they'd played Quidditch together, a nod of the head was the most he got from her. Now that his mind was clear, he saw what the sad look she gave him after their first time meant. She was upset because Harry never thought about her before. She couldn't pretend that they'd just suddenly fallen in love. Harry didn't love her. She hadn't got what she wanted, and they'd both been stuck in the situation. 

Once she dosed him with the love potion, it had to be forever.

Demelza had to continue it to keep from getting caught. 

She had to please Harry to keep him from losing his mind over the want of her.

She had to have sex with him as much as he had to have sex with her, and Harry knew she'd be relieved it was over. He'd caught her crying more than once in the middle of their lovemaking. Demelza said it was because she was just so happy, but Harry knew she'd been lying. At the time, it had hurt, but then he simply understood. 

Ginny sighed and pulled him close, and he didn't push her away.

After Ginny had left, Harry found Demelza. She was studying in the library, way in the back alone and hidden by the bookcase around her. He came to sit with her. His stomach turned as he remembered finding her there one day while he was still under the influence of the potion. That was when she made sure to come to him every day during her friend periods. They'd almost been caught.

'Ms Robbins.' 

From the way her eyes widened and how her posture stiffened, Harry knew she was aware he had been freed from her spell. 

He took a moment to steady himself, and he said, 'Don't do it again.'

'I won't.' She was shaking then. 'I promise. I'm so sorry it was such a stupid thing to do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.'

'I know.' Harry nodded. 'I didn't tell anyone it was you, but if you do it again, I'll have to. Please, don't make me do that.'

Demelza nodded as tears ran down her face, and Harry got up and left.

#

'You should stop selling them all together,' Ginny said, glaring at her brothers as if they were the ones who'd dosed Harry with a love potion.

It was one of the rare weekends he'd come to the Burrow, and Harry didn't want to talk about what happened. He wanted to leave the past in the past, but she still hadn't let it go.

'Ginny,' Harry said, trying to keep the peace. 'It's fine. I'm fine. Nothing happened. You caught it before anything happened.'

'It could have been worse,' Ron agreed and looked to George as it was his shop and his decision. Ron only helped out, and George wasn't ready to any over much control yet. 

'That's why you should quit selling them!'

'Oi,' George cut in, 'and have people brew them themselves and possibly poison Harry? Botched potions can be very dangerous, you know?' Then he snapped his fingers. 'What we can do is keep track of who buys them and cut people off if they try to buy too much.'

Ginny huffed. 'There would be fewer people willing to try it if they weren't so available. You just care more about your profits than Harry.'

'It wouldn't matter anyway.' Harry took Ginny's hand. 'They aren't the only ones who sell them. You don't even know if sh—they got it from their shop. And they have the weakest ones on the market. Honestly, I'd rather it be theirs than anyone else's. But . . .' Harry looked to George. 'I'd appreciate it if you would track them, and let me know if any of the students are buying a lot of them.'

'I'll do you one better,' George said. 'I'll let you know every single student that even buys one.'

Harry wasn't sure that would help him, but he smiled and said, 'Thanks, mate.' He would never have guessed that Demelza had been after him, even if he'd seen her name on a list of love potions buyers. The list would probably be longer than he had time for.

Rolling her eyes, Ginny leaned back into Harry's embrace. It wasn't nearly enough for her.

Many people in the wizarding world saw love potions as harmless fun. Although Harry didn't see them as harmless, he also didn't think that most of the people buying them needed to be in Azkaban. Especially since he was one of them, and Ginny should be more grateful to them than she realised.

Harry wasn't stupid. He didn't buy them from the Weasley's. He didn't buy the strong ones. He only took the potion when he was alone in his rooms with a picture of Ginny in front of him. Ginny's visits were always planned, so Harry could take the potion a few hours before she showed up. It gave him time to anticipate her arrival. 

The first time he did it, he went down on Ginny and came without even touching himself.

They didn't have any problems with their sex life anymore.

#

Harry didn't know there was such a thing as a love potion addict until he became one.

Owen Cauldwell just left some on Harry's desk, and he was itching to drink it. It was in the tea. Harry knew it was in the tea. He remembered what happened last time and how it tormented Demelza what she'd done. But Owen wasn't Demelza and if he went back to buy more the Weasleys would cut him off after four bottles. Five doses per bottle meant that he'd have twenty days at most, and Ginny was just there for a visit two day ago.

'Thanks,' Harry said. 'It's been a long day, and it's only Tuesday.' 

Cauldwell wasn't leaving. He just stood there smiling at Harry with his perfect teeth and watching him with pale, blue intriguing eyes. He spoke as if he were doing nothing wrong. As if he didn't know that Harry's wife had just been there over the weekend. That if he struck then, he could have Harry to himself for a month. Maybe they never put that much thought into it, but Harry liked to think that Cauldwell would. If he was willing to risk using this potion on his professor, then he must have studied Harry for a few months before he tried it.

'You looked tense during class today.' He shrugged it off as though he was just being nice.

'Is it that obvious?'

'You're an open book most of the time.' Cauldwell laughed, and it sound of it made Harry want to join him more than just laughter.

Harry took a sip of the tea and closed his eyes so he could concentrate on the warmth as it flowed through him. They both held their breath as they waited for the potion to take effect. When Harry opened his eyes, they must have shown his lust because Owen didn't hesitate to approach Harry who was sitting at his desk.

Owen stood in front of Harry with a bit of his blond hair falling into his eyes but didn't make a move. His expression was intense, and his eyes almost begged Harry to take him. He just waited for Harry to give in. Like they both knew that Harry would. The attitude turned Harry on, and his mind was so muddled that he almost forgot to lock the door. The second the door was secure, Harry gave in. He ripped open Owen's robes and worked open his trousers as fast as he could. 

Harry was desperate to get Owen's erection in his mouth, and once he did he almost came on himself just from the feel of his mouth around it. The sounds Harry made were louder than Owen's, and he made the mental note that next time—and fucking hell there better be a next time—he'd have to soundproof the door as well. 

At that moment, he didn't give a fuck.

There was a love potion in his system and no one would blame him for his actions right then.

Owen didn't move. He just stood there staring down at Harry in disbelief as his breathing became harsher with each intake of air. Leaning forward in the chair made it hard for Harry to look up at him, so he got down on his knees, and finally Owen groaned. It was just a deep, masculine sound that Harry did come in his pants, but he didn't stop working his tongue around Owen's prick until he was coming as well with an 'Oh, professor, yes,' finally falling from his lips.

Harry let the prick slid out of his mouth as he caught his breath and pressed his forehead against Owen's hip to keep himself from falling over. Owen leaned back against the desk to help support the weight of both of them.

When Harry opened his eyes, he saw the soft prick centimeters from his face and decided he hadn't had enough of it yet. The love potions always made sex better, but he couldn't deny that this was something different altogether. He'd thought about men, but had never had the chance to try it out before. He and Ginny were in an on and off again relationship since he was sixteen. She probably would have forgiven him if he dated someone else during one of their off times, but he never attempted it.

Harry kissed the tip of the prick and then Owen chuckled above him. As Harry began licking around the head, it began to harden again. While it was still soft enough to fit comfortably, Harry took the whole of it in his mouth and grabbed Owen's arse to pull him closer, deeper in as he grew stiffer, but it was still mostly soft. 

Eventually, Owen pushed on Harry's shoulders, and Harry pulled back his fingers which had found Owen's arsehole and were rubbing circles around it. Harry was hard again just thinking about put his tongue there.

'Sorry,' Owen said. 'I'm still a little too sensitive at the moment for that. Give me a couple of minutes.'

When Harry looked up, he saw that Owen's face was filled with wonder, and it made Harry laugh. 'You probably didn't have to bother with the potion, honestly.' It was such a strange thought. Harry had never thought about the potion after taking it before, even though he was aware of it. But it was the truth. He wanted to take the potion. Not just because he knew how much he needed the potion to feel alive by then, but because he really wanted to be in the position he was in then, and he couldn't have got there without the potion.

'What are you talking about?' Owen asked, threading his fingers through Harry's hair.

'The love potion that you put in the tea . . .' Harry said, but even as he tried to explain it, the words died on his lips as Cauldwell furrowed his eyebrows.

'I didn't put a love potion in the tea.'

Of course, he would deny it because no one would admit to that. Harry tried to remember if his name was on the list that George sent him that month. There were a few boys on the list. Harry saw them.

'But, the warmth,' Harry said. 'I felt it.' Just like he'd felt it so many times before. Harry knew what a love potion felt like. He knew— 

Looking into Cauldwell's eye, Harry felt nothing. He glanced back down at Cauldwell's prick, and his own jumped in his pants again. 

'Of course it was warm, Professor,' Cauldwell said, his expression one of worry instead of confusion at that point. He ran his fingers through Harry's hair as if to help accept this news, and said, 'It's tea.'

Harry took a deep breath and reached slowly for his wand. It was on the desk right next to Cauldwell's other hand. He looked into Cauldwell's eyes once it was safely in his grip.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said quickly pulling out. 'Obliviate.'


	2. Remember That

**March 2024**

A Hufflepuff seventh year had been making cow eyes at Harry all through class, and right then was licking and biting her bottom lip as she played with the top button of her robe. Sometimes Harry couldn't believe it still happened. He's not the youngest teacher at Hogwarts anymore. Although, he knew that wasn't the only reason so many students were interested in him. It was common for students to get crushes on their teachers. Neville said he still had one every couple of years. He'd get a couple years of peace, and then—

Lizzy—the Hufflepuff—was one of six from various years that Harry was dealing with then. 

Of course, Harry's dealing with and Neville's dealing with were not quite the same. 

It was hard for Harry to look at her and not picture, not remember the last time—two or three days ago—she got on her knees for him, or how she looked—a few weeks prior—clinging to his desk as he pounded into her making her breasts bounce with each thrust; the breasts she was trying to tease him with then. 

Harry forced himself to look away from her and scan the classroom. Everyone else was dutifully taking notes. Albus with his head down, not looking at Harry at all. Scorpius was next to him, as always; his back straight and glancing from where Harry stood in front of the class and back down to the parchment in front of him. Harry swallowed and decided to not look near Lizzy for the rest of the class, even if her breasts fell out of her robes completely. 

Luckily, Harry knew his lectures in his sleep, so no matter the distraction he never missed a beat. 

During the practical part of the lesson he avoided helping Lizzy. She'd have to come to him for help later, and Harry knew she would. He wouldn't even have to ask her to, but he did because everything went more smoothly that way. Passing between pairings, he stopped next to her and whispered that she needed to come see him during her free period. It was also his office hours. He knew that she knew this. 

He'd also have to do something about her behaviour in class. Even though everyone was used to him being flirted with constantly, even though he'd never been caught with any of his students, never even suspected, it still wasn't appropriate behaviour. It was distracting and had to stop.

She smiled at her partner as though she'd just won a prize. He'd be dashing that smile later, after the sex, after he wiped her memory and then replaced it with a stern lecture about proper classroom behaviour. He should have had the conversation with her before, except she really had needed extra help as she never paid much attention in class. She'd feel rejected, but she'd come back—less flirtatious, but easier to deal with. They were always more sensible after that conversation after they faced reality: he was married and loved his wife very much; she was far too young for him; his son was in her class for goodness sake. 

After he dismissed the class, Harry quickly cleaned off his chalkboard and turned to make his way to his desk, when he saw that Scorpius was still standing in the middle of the classroom. His things were packed up and in the bag on his shoulder, but Al was gone, and Scorpius wasn't moving to leave. 

He stood there just staring at Harry, so Harry asked, 'Do you need something?' 

'Yes—' Scorpius broke off and his expression twisted as he looked Harry up and down. He glanced at the door where the last few students were leaving, where Lizzy hesitated for a second before finally making her way through the door, aware that it wasn't a good idea to confront Harry then; not with Scorpius wanting to speak with him. 

'How can you do that with your son right there? The way you look at them,' Scorpius said, disdain dripping from his voice. 'You're lucky no one else has noticed; you're too obvious.' He stopped and clenched his jaw as though he wanted to say more. 'Try not to be so obvious. That's all I wanted to say.' 

Scorpius turned and walked toward the door. 

Harry was struck by, not just that Scorpius _knew_ , but that he'd said _them_. Did he know about them all? Lizzy could be rather forward. But Annabelle was too shy to even look at him. How long had he known? More importantly: why hadn't he turned Harry in? A thought came to him, and it was out of his mouth before he could think better of it. 

'Are you jealous?' 

Scorpius stopped. The door had closed behind Lizzy, and it would take only a second for Harry to seal it with his chosen spells, the ones he'd used so many times before. 

Harry's wand was still in his hand ready to fix Scorpius' memory no matter how the rest of the conversation went, but a man could dream, and Scorpius was a dream come true. Harry had slept with boys over the years, but they were few and far between the girls. And none of them had been Scorpius Malfoy—Draco Malfoy's son. Only son. Almost of age son and Harry was already hard waiting for Scorpius's answer, which was sure to be one of scorn and anger. 

Turning, Scorpius' expression was curiosity. 

Harry's mouth went dry as Scorpius walked toward him. 

'And what if I am?' 

'It's needless,' Harry said as he stepped toward Scorpius, who was slowly coming up to Harry's desk. 

'Do you fuck _anyone_ who offers?' He looked disgusted by the idea.

He'd never thought it that way before, but he couldn't remember having turned anyone down in all the years he'd been teaching at Hogwarts. A few years into teaching, a third of the students in his NEWT class would come to him at one time or another. Some only once, but other came again and again. He'd had more sex on his desk than he'd had in bed. Although, if he were honest, he'd had more sex with Ginny on his desk than he'd had with her in bed. It was sometimes the only way he could come. 

Scorpius snorted. 'I'll take that as a yes—' He looked Harry up and down again, but that time no trace of disgust was in his expression. 'So what are you suggesting?' 

'We do whatever you want.' Harry shrugged, and once Scorpius said, 'Whatever I want? Okay,' and began walking toward him, Harry cast the spells on the door. They were young and never thought up anything particularly kinky. Sex with him on a desk was enough; sex with him, in general, would probably have been enough. 

'Sit in your chair, Professor.' 

Harry licked his lips and did as he was told. The boys more often than the girls called him Professor. Even before he was technically a Professor. Scorpius took off his robe and laid it across one of the student's desks, unsnapped his trousers, grabbed Harry's head, pulling him forward, and said, 'Get me hard.' 

Eagerly, Harry buried his face in Scorpius's crotch, taking his whole prick in his mouth at once. Then grabbing his ass, he pulled Scorpius closer to him, causing Scorpius to have to grab Harry's head to keep himself from falling. Harry moaned around Scorpius' growing erection, loving the feel of it in his mouth, loving the soft moan coming from Scorpius because of it. It caused Harry to moan as well. 

Scorpius chuckled. 'You think you're good at this?' 

He pushed Harry back in his chair and upright, and then Scorpius was down on his knees in front of Harry. Scorpius took his time teasing Harry with his fingers, gently trailing them up and down his erection through his robe, until Harry was leaking and panting from the want of more. 

'Malfoy,' Harry moaned as Scorpius pulled at his robe. He thought belatedly that he shouldn't call him Malfoy, but that was, after all, his name and what he always called him: Mr Malfoy. It was required. He always called the students their surnames, until they became this close. But calling him Malfoy was too much of a turn on for Harry to change it then. 

Scorpius licked around the head of Harry's prick, before going down taking a little bit more of Harry's prick in his mouth with each movement. His pressure was perfect. 

'Yes, just like that, Malfoy.' Harry found he couldn't resist adding his name to every sentence. 

Scorpius began to play with Harry's bollocks and without warning pushed the tip of his finger into his arse. Harry jolted from the contact, and if eyes could smirk he'd swear that Scorpius's were. 

Harry wasn't opposed to the idea of a finger up his arse. He was simply used to girls, and they didn't tend to come up with ideas like that. As Scorpius's fingers brushed against Harry's prostate, Harry began to squirm. Scorpius had most definitely done this before. His expression turned serious as Harry got closer and closer to coming. Harry tried to watch Scorpius's eyes they were so much like his father's—but he was too used to coming with his eyes tightly shut. 

He came hard as Scorpius swallowed around him with his fingers still deep inside Harry. Harry couldn't remember the last person who'd swallowed. A chubby fifth year maybe seven years back? 

While catching his breath, Harry leaned back in his chair and waited for Scorpius to kiss him. But a moment later all he felt was the cool air around. His eyes shot opened, and he jolted out of his chair. Scorpius was already at the door with his bag slung over his shoulder. He hadn't even bothered to put Harry's limp prick away. Grabbing his trousers, Harry quickly got himself together, but it was too late. 

Scorpius Malfoy was gone, and he remembered _everything_.

#

All the people who've tried to seduce Harry over the years were amateurs compared to Scorpius Malfoy. He, unlike anyone else, always kept Harry wanting more. That was his game their first time together, leaving Harry as he was waiting for a kiss, and it soon became the rule. Although Harry had never been fond of kissing, Scorpius's denying him it drove Harry mad with want.

But beyond that, because Scorpius knew he had a power none of the others had. He'd catch Harry off guard in a deserted hallway, and there was where he'd kiss him. Forceful and passionate and seconds away from getting them caught. Harry couldn't figure out how he managed it until he remembered that James got the Invisibility Cloak; therefore, he'd given the Marauder's Map to Albus. 

Scorpius and Albus had been best friends since they were sorted into Ravenclaw together. A week ago, had anyone asked—and they asked quite a lot—Harry would have said that Scorpius only resembled his father in looks, but then he wasn't so sure. He was much more cunning than Harry had given him credit for. Where many students rolled their eyes every time Lizzy approached Harry, no one even glanced between Scorpius and Harry. 

Scorpius very rarely glanced Harry's way himself. 

'Do you remember what I said about you being obvious?' Scorpius asked as he lit a cigarette. Scorpius had caught Harry outside and blew him right there up against the castle wall where Harry was still leaning, trying to get a hold of his senses. His prick could still feel the ghost of his lips.

'You shouldn't be smoking,' Harry said instead of answering. Harry had never seen a wizard smoke anything other than a pipe. It seemed like such a Muggle thing to him, and it made Scorpius seem out of place. 'It's bad for you.' Although, not illegal and not technically against school rules, so there was nothing Harry could do about it except complain. 

'You're not my father.' Scorpius smirked. 'And you've got to stop staring at me. You're as obvious as Lizzy Lancaster, and that's saying something as everyone can tell when you're near, just by the way her scent changes.' Scorpius scrunched up his face and shuttered. 

Harry wasn't sure if that was a reference to him making her so wet that everyone around her could smell it or if Lizzy used perfume and might quickly apply it whenever she saw him coming. 

'Still jealous of her?' 

Scorpius snorted and took a long drag of his cigarette. 'Hardly.' He considered a thought for a moment and then added, 'Although, I should cut you off until you quit fucking her. It really isn't fair that you get everything you want.' 

'I don't get everything I want.' 

'Oh really?' Scorpius narrowed his eyes. 'What is it that you want?' 

That was the question, wasn't it? It's true that for a long time Harry beat himself up over risking everything he had over a few cheap thrills with a pretty, young face. And sometimes a not so pretty face. He had everything he wanted, hadn't he? A beautiful wife, who adored him, three amazing children, and the family he always wanted. A job he loved in the first place he'd ever felt at home. So then why did he feel like there was a bottomless hole he was constantly trying to fill? 

'I don't know.' Harry brushed his lips against Scorpius's. 'But I know that I like this. I like what I feel when I'm with you.' 

Scorpius kept his face blank. 'Better than what you feel when you're with Lizzy?' 

Harry sighed and backed away as Scorpius threw his cigarette and ground it into nothing with the toe of his shoe. Harry couldn't tell him that he was different. Harry couldn't do attachment. Like with Owen, it didn't matter how much Harry wanted Scorpius. If he wanted him more than Lizzy or more than his own wife. That part of him was not allowed to be given, so Harry didn't say anything at all. 

'Or Annabelle . . . or Marion . . . ?' 

Scorpius didn't wait for an answer before he walked away.

# 

Harry expected a cold spell.

That's what Ginny did when she got jealous of the time he spent with students instead of her. The last thing he expected was for Scorpius to show up while Harry had Lizzy naked and laid across his desk. Especially since he was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and had spelled the door locked himself.

Lizzy screamed and pushed herself flat against the desk. Harry covered her body with his own as Scorpius approached them. Looking at Harry, Scorpius held up a folded blank piece of parchment and then set it on one of the desks. 

Of course, Scorpius was watching them. 

As Scorpius approached the desk, Lizzy yelled, 'What are you doing?' 

Smirking, he crouched down in front of Harry's desk to make eye contact with Lizzy. 

'I bet he is twice as hard since I've walked in.' 

Harry couldn't see her face, but he felt her shift as she realised what Scorpius said was true. Harry was still deep inside her, and he couldn't stop himself from moving ever so slightly in and out of her as Scorpius smirked at her face. 

'What do you want?' She tried to sound strong, but Harry could hear the quiver in her voice, and it just make him push deeper inside her with each movement.

'It's not about what _I_ want,' Scorpius said. 'It's about what you want. Do you want to know what it feels like to really be fucked by him?' 

Lizzy moaned as Harry picked up speed, but quickly regained control over herself. 'I'm pretty sure I know better than you do.' She lifted her hips and relaxed so that Harry could move faster. Harry could picture her face with a look that said, 'Can't you see I'm getting fucked by him, tosser!' 

'Are you?' Scorpius stared into her eyes. 'Are you really sure?' 

'Oh God,' Harry moaned. 'Scorpius, what are you doing?' 

'Don't pretend that you don't like us fighting over you,' Scorpius said looking up at Harry. 'I don't have to have you inside me right now to know how much you love it.' He met Lizzy's eyes, again. 'And yes, I have had him inside me plenty.' 

Her jaw dropped open. 

'So I'll ask again, do you want to know what it feels like when he really wants you?' 

She made an insulted sound half between a gasp and a growl. 

'I'll take that as a yes.' 

Scorpius stood up and took off his robe in one fluid motion, but then took his time removing the rest of his uniform, slowly driving Harry mental with anticipation of what might happen next. Once he finished undressing, he pushed back on Lizzy's shoulders to make room for himself to sit in front of her on the desk. 

Her movements were jerky showing that she was still pissed off, but she didn't say to stop. She didn't curse at Harry or push him away, and she did move to let Scorpius sit in front of her. 

'Oh fuck yes,' Harry said, and if he didn't know that Lizzy would have no memory of this later, he'd have been horrified at himself.

'Do you spit or swallow?' 

'Spit,' Harry answered for her and then bit his lips closed. 

'Well, today.' Scorpius smirked at Harry, knowing how much he was already enjoying himself when they had barely started. 'We're going to teach you how to swallow, okay?' 

'Fuck you!' she said, which just made Scorpius laugh, but after Harry had groaned again, she shook her head and helped Scorpius guided his prick into her mouth. 

When she could no longer look up at Scorpius, he caught Harry's eyes and smirked, again. Lizzy moaned as Harry's body reacted to the eye contact, proving that Scorpius had been right. Harry was already so close, and it wouldn't take much more for him to come, but Lizzy wasn't anymore because of the interruption. 

Scorpius chuckled. 'I'm so much better at this. No wonder you're so addicted to my mouth if you're willing to risk your marriage over this.' Scorpius usually never mentioned Harry's wife. He must have said it for Lizzy's benefit in some way, and it seemed to work because Lizzy obviously took the comment as a challenge, causing Scorpius to moan a moment later and say, 'That's much better, but if you're going to swallow you still need to take it in deeper.' 

As Scorpius helped her relax into it, Harry could tell by Scorpius's expression that he was getting close to coming. Scorpius instructed her to swallow around him to keep her saliva from building up too much, and Harry groaned at the memory of what that felt like. She was getting into Scorpius's lessons, and Harry couldn't hold back any longer. Harry was coming, and then Lizzy was, and Scorpius grabbed Harry's hand and had Harry help hold her head down so she couldn't pull back as Scorpius came. It made Harry's prick jolt with excitement, but he was too gone to come again. 

She coughed as they both pulled out of her. This was when he would usually turn her over and kiss her, but with Scorpius there he didn't. As she breathed, Harry rubbed his soft prick between her thighs. He couldn't get himself to stop moving.

Harry had to fix her memory. He debated about quickly hitting Scorpius while he was still there. There was a lot he would have to fix, and not all of it would be easy to find, but it was dangerous having Scorpius walking around knowing. Scorpius used his wand to clean himself up and was dressed before Harry made his decision. 

Lizzy was still naked when Scorpius threw the memory charm at her. 

'What are you doing?' Harry asked. 

'Fixing this.' He looked at Harry as if he was an idiot. 'I know you fix their memories, but I'm fixing hers for good.' 

Harry stood and pointed his wand at Scorpius, 'Don't you dare hurt her.' 

'I'm not the one hurting her.' 

Stung, Harry dropped his wand arm. 'She has always been willing.' All of them had always been willing. They came on to him even. Harry looked down and saw his come dripping down her legs with some of Scorpius's still around the corners of her mouth. He cleaned her up as Scorpius continued talking.

'You have no idea how much she is teased because of you, how much everyone hates to be near her. You need to make her wake up, and so I'm forcing you to.' 

'Or you'll do what?' Harry knew what Scorpius could do, but he hadn't threatened Harry before, and he needed to know what Scorpius intended to do. 

Scorpius concentrated on the spell, ignoring Harry's question for the moment 'It's already done,' he finally said. 

Scorpius gathered Lizzy's clothes and handed them to her. Harry was horrified as tears began to drip down her face, and he couldn't bring himself to move as she apologised in between the sobs, begging him not to expel her for her foolishness. 

Harry looked to Scorpius and saw his jaw was slack, and eyes were wide much like Harry's, and then Harry realised Scorpius was keeping him in the dark about what was happening on purpose. Harry was reacting just how he wanted him to. Lizzy was shaking as she dressed. Disheveled but clothed, she ran from the room. Harry's shock turned to outrage. 

'What the fuck did you do?' 

'She'll never flirt with you again,' Scorpius said pleased with himself.' All she remembers is sitting down naked in your chair, and then you coming into the room.' 

Harry had already forgotten that she'd done that. Since she had no memories of them together, it really was a gutsy move on her part. 

'I had you act just like you always should have: covering your eyes, yelling at her to get dressed and out of the room, and telling her how completely inappropriate such behaviour is.' Scorpius grabbed Harry's tie and wrapped it around his neck and then kissed him lightly on the mouth. 'She ripped open your trousers and pull out your prick, getting it as far into her mouth as she could before you sent a few Stinging Hexes at her. She's embarrassed, but she'll be fine. Oh, and your prick is still hanging out of your pants, in case you didn't know.'' 

'Jealousy is unbecoming.' Harry tried to step back, but Scorpius had too firm of a grip on his tie. 

'No one.' Scorpius tugged forcefully on Harry's tie as he quickly turned it into a knot. 'Cheats. On. A. Malfoy.' He met Harry's eyes with his own. 'Remember that.'


	3. Remembered

Scorpius was right about Lizzy not coming back to him. 

In the past, Harry had always let them down gently. He didn't look at them shocked and scandalised, because he wasn't. At that point, he'd seen about everything anyone could think of from admirers trying to get with him. On the rare occasions where she looked at Harry at all, she blushed and looked away from him, but she didn't even attempt to answer a question during class anymore. 

Harry hadn't expected it to hurt, but it did. It hurt to look at her and see her in pain. Much like with Demelza, except Lizzy had never used a love potion on him. The only person who used love potions on Harry anymore was Harry himself. He could tell when one of his students were interested in him, and he confronted them before they had a chance to use a love potion. It was safer that way for everyone involved. He got in the habit of taking an antidote every night before bed. That way if he was ever accidentally dosed it would be out of his system the next day. A habit he wouldn't even have to think about.

'What is that?' Scorpius asked.

'That is none of your business.' Harry tried to put the bottle back into his desk drawer, but Scorpius grabbed it before he could. 

Scorpius looked to see there was no label, and then while keeping his eyes on Harry, he smelled it. 'Think I'm slipping you love potions?'

'It's a habit.' Harry shrugged, but was surprised Scorpius could tell what the potion was just by the scent of it.

Scorpius nodded. 'Probably a good idea for someone in your position.' He winked at Harry as he was handing it back.

'Ginny came up with the idea,' Harry explained. 'Make it part of my day, so if I ever did take something by accident . . .' Harry didn't like the look on Scorpius's face. It was like he'd just figured out something about Harry. Nothing Harry had just said would make the average person pause, but Harry was learning that Scorpius was far from the average person.

'Love potions . . . they're easy to detect as they smell different to everyone. What's yours smell like?' When Harry didn't answer, Scorpius continued, 'I'll tell you about mine. It smells like . . . sweat.' He smiled when he saw he got Harry's attention. 'Clearly not just any sweat, but a specific person's sweat. The morning just after it rains and mint.'

'Quidditch,' Harry said with a shrug. 'So I guess that is kind of like sweat.' And leather and dirt and grass.

'Anything else?' Scorpius asked.

'A flowery scent that I don't know the name of. I remember smelling it at the Burrow once, and I think it might have been something Ginny used to wear. She doesn't smell like it anymore.'

'Is it still the same in the potion?'

'Yeah.' Harry didn't know enough about love potions to know what that meant, and Scorpius's face was pinched in concentration.

'What?'

'Sometimes it changes—the way the potion smells to you. When you fall in love with someone new, or when they begin to smell different. Like mine: the mint is new.'

Harry sighed. 'What are you doing in here?'

Smirking, Scorpius walked toward Harry. 'Just thought I'd come visit you, maybe give you a gift for your good behaviour.'

Harry rolled his eyes. Scorpius didn't give him much choice on his good behaviour. He never went after his students. They went after him, and suddenly they all decided to stop. He knew why Lizzy no longer came to see him, and part of him was relieved not just because of Scorpius. She was really getting out of hand. But Harry didn't know what he'd done to make the others stop coming around. The thought sent chills through him. Scorpius had changed Lizzy's memory effortlessly. He was an expert, and Harry wondered who all he'd practiced that on before.

'Students aren't allowed in our rooms.'

Ignoring Harry's statement, Scorpius wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and kissed down his jaw.

Harry tried to push him away. 'I'm serious. How did you get in here anyway?'

Scorpius unbuttoned Harry's trousers as he got onto his knees. 'Are you sure you want me to leave?' He mouthed Harry's quickly hardening prick through his pants. Closing his eyes, Harry took a deep breath, but before he got the will to answer, Scorpius slipped his erection out and wrapped his lips around it. 

'Did anyone see you?' Harry swallowed as his mouth went dry at the sight.

Scorpius shook his head.

Harry was running out of objections. 'Are you sure?'

Pulling back Scorpius answered, 'I have the map, remember?' He stood then and pulled Harry to his bed. They didn't talk anymore as their mouths were otherwise occupied finding the best ways to make the other one moan. Scorpius worked Harry inside him with a few quick and sure movements. Harry wondered who all he'd practiced that on, and then he pushed the thought out of his mind. He pushed Scorpius out of his mind altogether.

'Malfoy,' Harry moaned as he began to ride Harry, slowly picking up speed. 

He stared into Harry's eyes until Harry couldn't take it anymore and closed them. 'Look at me,' he said, and Harry opened his eyes but couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, he looked at his hair brushing against his forehead or how it fell around his ears instead. Harry could feel his eyes on him, judging him, taking in every one of his movements.

'You like love potions, don't you?' Scorpius usually added "Professor" to the end of sentences like that. Harry knew he did it to taunt him with their relationship, to remind Harry what a bad Professor he was. The question without the taunt at the end felt like a trick so Harry didn't answer it. Harry's eyes involuntarily met his, and that was all the answer he needed. He smirked as he shifted his hips in a way that made Harry groan and his eyes fall shut again.

'You do,' he said, 'I can tell you do. What else do you like?'

Harry bit his check refusing to answer this questions as his mind slowly slipped away from him into bliss. When Harry opened his eyes again, he was blurry above Harry. He'd taken away Harry's glasses, but he'd also quit asking questions, so Harry wasn't going to complain. 

'Look at me,' he said, again, and that time Harry didn't hesitate. Harry couldn't see his eyes clearly, and that made it much easier for Harry to focus on his face, it's familiar sharp edges. Harry grabbed his hips as they moved together as one. 

'Keep your eyes on me when you come.'

It was hard to keep his eyes open when he was so close to coming, but Harry also loved the challenge. Harry wondered if he knew that if that was why he asked him to do it in the first place. If it was just another game he was playing with Harry.

Then Harry was coming, and he said, 'Say my name, Harry. Please, say my name.'

'Malfoy' was on his lips, but Harry knew that wasn't what he meant. Not when he was calling him Harry. Still he mumbled, 'Malfoy,' over and over again as he came while his brain tried to reach for the other name that he wasn't as used to using.

'Fuck, fuck, Malfoy yes.'

'Harry,' he whined, pushing at Harry to keep moving as Harry's muscles stopped reliably listening to Harry's commands. Keep moving, keep moving, he's not done yet, even if you are, keep moving.

'Come on, Harry.'

'Yes, Draco, whatever you want.'

'Yes! Fuck, yes,' he moaned. Even though Harry couldn't move anymore and was soft inside him, he rocked back and forth as if they were both still in motion. Grabbing his own prick, he quickly brought himself off on Harry's chest and then collapsed next to him. 

A moment later, he was nibbling at Harry's ear, and Harry wrapped an arm around him. A soft chuckle sent a shock through Harry as he realised the mistake he'd just made.

'Calm down, Professor,' Scorpius said as his mouth moved from Harry's neck to his collarbone, 'you can keep pretending I'm my father for a little while longer if you wish.'

Harry tried to forcibly regain control of his breathing because calming down would have been impossible.

#

Harry remembered the day Scorpius and Albus became friends because he watched it happen. He tried his best not to smother his children with his presence at Hogwarts, but he couldn't help his eyes from wander to them more often than to the other students. And when they were both sorted into Ravenclaw, they barely noticed each other. Albus sat with Rose while Scorpius sat alone.

It was like that for a few months. Scorpius was a loner and Rose and Albus were joined at the hip just like they always had been. 

Then one day, during his class, one of the Hufflepuff boys shot a spell at Scorpius's back, but Albus blocked it before it hit him. Harry stepped in before it turned into a fist fight, and multiple people accused him of playing favourites with his son. The next day they met for class, Harry did a whole lecture on never attacking someone from behind. Although he'd mentioned it in classes before, he'd hadn't had a reason for it to be the sole lecture before.

Rose still sat with Albus every day, but Scorpius had moved to sit on Al's other side.

As they got older, it was more common to see Albus without Rose than without Scorpius, which Harry had never thought much of before. They were boys and shared a dorm. Like Harry and Ron, they just fell in together.

Harry wasn't so sure about that anymore.

In class, Scorpius looked the same as he always did. There wasn't a moment that Harry could remember that he ever questioned Scorpius's intentions before. Watching him then, Harry saw that Scorpius gave no reason for anyone to question him. He was too perfect.

With his family's sordid history, he would have had to be perfect. There were many people who questioned anything and everything that the Malfoy's did. Even sending Scorpius to Hogwarts caused headlines, and from Albus, Harry learned that Malfoy—Draco, that was—didn't keep the war hidden from his son like Harry had with his own children. From a young age, Scorpius knew he needed to never be seen as suspicious.

During mealtimes Harry watched him and wondered how did a sinister person eat food. It was a good thing he decided against becoming an Auror, he would have been a shit one with those deduction skills. But still. 

Albus laughed and knocked his shoulder against Scorpius, and Rose rolled her eyes at whatever the boys were saying. Rose was brilliant, and Albus was the brightest of his children—they'd have been able to tell their best mate was—

Harry had no words to describe what Scorpius was. All he knew was that Scorpius terrified him. His magical skill and his talent for lying. There was nothing that could stop him from having whatever he wanted, except for maybe Harry. Harry knew him. Harry knew he was— 

Whatever it was that he was.

Scorpius put his arm around Albus, and a blush covered Albus's face.

It had been a while since Harry and Al spent time together. Harry swallowed around a lump in his throat. Because he tried not to smother them, he let his kids come to him. Albus looked up to the teacher's table and caught Harry's stare, and then put some distance between himself and Scorpius. But maybe, they needed him to pay attention, to see that they needed his help without coming to him and asking for it. 

Scorpius didn't look at Harry. Scorpius didn't act like there was anything wrong with Albus pushing him away, either.

#

Harry took Albus for a walk out by the lake. 'I'm doing great, Dad,' Albus said swinging his arms as he walked. 'You don't need to worry about me.'

Even if Harry hadn't already been worried, Al's tone of voice would have concerned him. He was hiding something from Harry. Something was _bothering_ him. Harry's mind leaped to himself and Scorpius, but no—if he knew about that, he'd be so angry he wouldn't keep it to himself. As Scorpius was Al's best friend, Harry thought it wouldn't be too odd to get straight to the point. Well, to the person. He could very well ask Albus if Scorpius was hurting him in some way without it seeming to come out of nowhere.

And whatever it was had to do with Scorpius. Harry knew that much. They spent too much time together for it not to involve him in some way.

'Is everything between you and Scorpius okay?'

Albus blushed. 'Yeah.'

'Are you sure?' Harry waited as Albus seemed to weigh his answer. There was something going on there, but Harry didn't know how to get it out of him. A blush didn't necessarily indicate anger. It was possible Albus could tell Scorpius had a lover. Scorpius was smart to bring the map with them, so Albus would never catch them on it. But Albus was a Ravenclaw, too. He could put two and two together and see that Scorpius was abandoning their friendship for sex with someone.

'Yeah, everything is great with Scorpius.'

'He isn't trying to get you to do something you don't want to do, is he?'

'Like what?' Albus looked perplexed at the idea. Of course, Harry would have had, too, had someone asked him that same question not to long ago. Scorpius was a good kid, or so Harry thought. Albus thought he was perfect. All he did was talk about how wonderful Scorpius was.

'I don't know. Like . . .' Harry shrugged looking for something that wouldn't damn himself. 'Smoking?' 

Albus gave Harry a confused look. ‘Scorpius doesn’t smoke.’

That caught Harry off guard. Either Albus didn't know, or he was lying to Harry. He liked to think he could tell if one of his kids were lying to him. 'Are you sure?' Harry asked making sure to watch Albus's expression.

'I'm his best mate, dad.' Albus looked certain, and nothing like someone who was trying to cover for a friend. He didn't try to keep his eyes from meeting Harry's nor did he stare straight into them as if making a point. He was nonchalant and natural in his mannerisms, if not a bit insulted. 'I'd think _I_ would know if he smoked.'

'Okay, I believe you.' Harry just didn't believe Scorpius. 'He's not spreading rumors about you or anything?' 

'Are you hearing rumors about me?'

'I'm a teacher. I'm not allowed in the rumor mill, but you know people talk. He likes to talk.' Scorpius liked to use words to twist Harry's thoughts into complicated puzzles. He liked to make Harry think about things he'd rather not. His father—Draco—loved to spread rumours. Harry could only imagine the sort of damage Scorpius could produce.

‘Scorpius?’ Albus asked, laughing. ‘Are we talking about the same Scorpius here?’

‘It’s not a common name.’

‘Scorpius Malfoy? I’m his best friend,' Al reminded Harry, again, 'and he isn’t even talkative with me. Who was he talking to that made you think he likes to talk?’

Harry couldn’t look at his son, which apparently gave him enough to figure out the answer.

‘Ah, well, maybe he had to talk to keep up the conversation—you do have a penance for one-word answers.’

‘A penance?’ Harry forced a laugh and tried to make a joke of it to ease the tension that was suffocating him. ‘Where’d you learn to talk like that?’

‘From Scorpius Malfoy,’ Albus said, smirking at Harry.

'Of course.'

'Dad. He would never do anything to hurt me. It's not—' Al winced as they both knew Harry caught that there was something wrong.

'It's?'

'Just give me a little time, okay? I'll tell you when I'm ready.' The hurt must have shown on Harry's face. 'Don't look like that. It's not you . . .' Albus looked away. 

'You know I'm always here for you, right?'

Looking at Harry, Albus's eyes seemed to tear. 'Are you?'

'Of course, I am. How could you ever doubt that?'

Al either didn't want to or didn't have an answer to that.

'Well, I am. I don't care what it is, I am on your side.'

'Thanks, dad.' But Al didn't look like he believed it, and he kicked at a few small rocks that were hidden in the patches of grass at their feet while he avoided Harry's eyes.

He still wouldn't look at Harry and for a moment fear shot through him as he wondered how much Al might have figured out in the same way Scorpius had. Harry was pretty sure Scorpius wouldn't tell him, not without lording it over Harry first, but that wouldn't stop Albus from figuring it out on his own. Just because he didn't tell anyone didn't mean Al hadn't noticed—but then, it could have been much simpler than that. 

Al's classmates flirting with Harry alone could bother him, especially if he liked one of them. 

A flock of bird flew above them, their cries drowning out the silence that was slowly engulfing Harry and Albus. Harry shoved his hands in his pockets and watched the ripples on the water as the birds landed and then took off again.

Lizzy was a pretty girl and was popular before she started to openly flirt with Harry. If Albus had a crush on her, that certainly could have put him in an awkward situation that he wouldn't want to talk to Harry about. It would also explain why Scorpius was intent on getting Lizzy away from Harry.

Asking Albus was out of the question, and Scorpius would probably lie. 

Scorpius might be brilliant, even by Ravenclaw standards, but he wasn't a Slytherin. Harry was almost sorted into Slytherin, and he would find out what was going on.

#

Scorpius was in Harry's bed, again. Harry didn't try to protest. First, because it was pointless. Second, because he wanted Scorpius to think he was winning for a while. And third, because Harry kind of liked Scorpius's random appearances in his bed. On his side, propped up on one arm, Harry watched as Scorpius lit and inhaled his first deep lungful of smoke.

‘Albus said you don’t smoke.’

‘I don’t.’ Scorpius took another drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled as Harry gestured to him clearly smoking right then. ‘It’s a filthy, dirty habit—you make me feel filthy and dirty.’ 

Harry hated the blush creeping up his cheeks and glared at Scorpius for causing it. ‘If I’m the only person you’re yourself with, wouldn’t that make our relationship the only real one you’ve ever had? Am I the only person that knows the real you? The only one you don't lie to?’ He knew that Scorpius would deny it, but he wanted to say it. He was the only one who knew this dark, dirty side of Scorpius Malfoy.

Scorpius leaned in close to Harry and looked him right in the eyes after a quick glance at his mouth. Harry prepared himself to be assaulted by one of Scorpius’s confusingly passionate kisses, but Scorpius didn’t bridge the gap.

‘What makes you think I’m not lying to you right now?’

'Do you lie to Albus a lot?'

Maybe it wasn't fair. Scorpius didn't bring up Ginny nor Albus for that matter, but the more time he spent with Scorpius, the less comfortable he was with Albus doing the same thing. Scorpius got out of the bed and kept his back toward Harry.

'A sore spot for you?'

'It should be a sore spot for you.'

'I'm not lying to him.'

'Oh really?' Scorpius gestured between them. 'Other than this, how many classmates of his have you fucked? How long have you been cheating on his mom? Hell, how long have you been pining after my dad?'

'I'm not pining after your dad.' Harry could tell that Scorpius didn't believe that. 'It was nothing. Even if I do think about him sometimes, that doesn't mean I'm pining over him.' He made it sound like he was a lovesick teenager. Scorpius didn't look angry anymore but more just amused. 

'So if he offered himself to you, you'd turn him down?'

'I wouldn't cheat on Ginny.' Harry squirmed under Scorpius's calculating stare until Scorpius started talking again.

'You know, I stay with Albus at the Burrow sometimes.'

Harry nodded, not sure where that came from, but yes he knew that.

'One day I woke up and thought I was still at the manor. Albus left the window opened, and the flowers from the garden smell much like the ones around the manor. Sometimes magic isn't literal. Often times people don't know what they want or what they need. Your body and your mind can only give you clues, but it is up to you to figure them out. Love potions are like that: they give you clues. 

'Before you ever smelled a love potion had someone asked you what smell attracted you, would you have ever said Quidditch? I hardly think I would have said sweat. For you, Quidditch was the clue, and you listened to it. Have you ever dated someone who didn't play the sport?'

Scorpius didn't wait for an answer, but Harry supposed he probably knew. He might have learned all about Harry's lack of love life in History of Magic, but Harry kept far away from that class. He wasn't interested in reliving the past.

'A flowery scent was one of your clues, but it doesn't necessary mean that the person smelled like the flower.'

'So you're saying that it wasn't that Ginny stopped smelling like those flowers, but that the Burrow did?'

Ignoring the question, Scorpius went back to the conversation they were having before, and Harry cursed himself for being so stupid to fall for his diversion tactic. He'd let his guard down again, and given Scorpius more information about himself. He didn't see how it was useful, but to a Ravenclaw everything was probably useful.

'I think you would cheat on your wife with my father given the chance, Professor. And not just because of all the times you've cheated on her _before_.'

'That's different; they don't—'

'Count?' Scorpius said.

Remember. Because none of them remembered. Scorpius shouldn't remember either, but he got away too quickly for Harry to fix it. 

'Of course, it counts.'

Harry had his wand in his hand, but Scorpius either didn't notice it or didn't see it as a threat. They'd been together many times with Harry's wand in his hand or close to him. It would be difficult to find all the memories he'd have to erase, which was why he didn't do it before. But it would only become more difficult the longer he put it off. He couldn't let this go on. Scorpius knew too much, and Harry was getting too attached. It was only a matter of time before Scorpius would want more. More than just being the only one. More than in Harry's bed as well as on his desk. Scorpius would want Ginny gone. He'd want Albus to know.

Harry had to stop Scorpius from ruining his life.

'I'm not the one lying to Albus,' Scorpius said, 'or myself.'

'Obliviate!'

#

It took days for Harry's nerves to settle down. He knew how good of an actor Scorpius could be. Although he trusted his spellwork, Harry had trouble falling back into a peaceful existence. But after a week, Harry quit looking over his shoulder expecting Scorpius to pop out of nowhere and bring him to his knees. Instead, it was how it used to be. When they noticed each other at all, Scorpius nodded and moved on. He hadn't done that the whole time they'd been sleeping together. He avoided any contact outside of their private contact.

Still, there was always a shadow of doubt in Harry's mind after he messed with one of theirs.

He'd watch them and then worry that they'd notice him watching them. With Scorpius, that was much more likely, and then one day Scorpius stayed after class. He walked casually up to Harry's desk, and Harry bit the inside of his cheek to will his erection away. There was nothing flirtatious about Scorpius's walk, he just asked a question about the lecture, and Harry almost laughed in relief. 

'Sorry,' Harry said. 'I'm just so used to you knowing the material before you walk through the door. I didn't even know you listened to my lectures.'

'I take notes.' Scorpius almost seemed insulted. 

'I know.' Harry nodded and explained the theory behind light and dark magic, and they ended up talking for near an hour. 

By the time Scorpius had to move on as his free period was over, Harry was comfortable in his presence again. Scorpius was just as he had always been around Harry before. Though Harry now had the advantage. He knew that Scorpius couldn't be trusted, even if Scorpius didn't remember how Harry figured that out.

#

It had been years since Harry had seen Draco Malfoy.

Scorpius didn't look as much like him as Harry had thought. The way they carried themselves was the biggest difference. Draco was reserved, and Scorpius had a friendly air about him.

Harry smiled and nodded to Draco. 'What brings you here?'

'To see you actually,' Draco said. 'Scorpius owled me a couple weeks ago, asking me to come speak with you. Sorry for the delay, but I've been a bit busy recently.'

Harry almost choked. A couple of weeks ago, Scorpius still had his memories. If he asked Draco to come because of anything to do with them— 

But no, Draco didn't seem angry but just wanting to talk. Plus, if he knew anything, he wouldn't have put it off for two weeks.

'Oh, um, alright.' Harry gestured toward his classroom. 'Do you want to come to my office?'

Draco was stiff and formal as always as he accepted and followed Harry.

In Harry's office, Draco looked around at the pictures of Harry's friends on the walls, and Harry took the opportunity to watch him. Most of them were taken around Hogwarts. A few were from holidays at the Burrow. When Draco saw the one of himself and Harry chasing a Snitch during a Quidditch game their second year, he turned and caught Harry staring. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

'So,' Harry said, quickly looking away. 'What was it that you wanted to talk about?'

'Scorpius wants to be an Auror, and he wanted me to talk to you about maybe writing a recommendation for him.'

'An Auror?'

'Yes, don't you think he'd make an excellent Auror?' Draco kept his eyes on Harry's. 'He had top marks in all his classes, and I've read his work on magical theory. The only thing I haven't seen is his practical, but Albus says he's a master at Defense and Charms.'

Harry could only agree: Scorpius would make an amazing Auror. 

'Yes, I believe he would.'

'So, you'll write the letter?' Draco looked pleased.

'Yes.' Scorpius was brilliant. He was everything the Aurors wanted. 'Of course, I will.'

Draco stood and held out his hand for Harry to shake it. Harry took it, and his heart began pounding forcefully as warmth spread through him from the contact. They shook hands quickly, and Harry reluctantly let go. As Draco pulled back, he accidently knocked over a few of the pictures on Harry's desk.

'Shit,' Draco said, bending down to grab them. 'IMy apologies. I'm hopeless when I'm nervous.'

'It's okay.' Harry went to help, crouching down next to Draco. 'Why are you nervous? I already said I'll write the letter.'

'You make me nervous.'

Harry looked up to find Draco staring at him, and their noses brushed against each other. His breath caught, and he hated the effect Draco was having on him. He hated Scorpius being right about his. Although Harry fantasised about Draco from time to time, he never thought he'd get this close to him. It was easy to say he'd never do something as long as it wasn't an option. Draco hadn't been an option for the longest time.

For some reason when Scorpius asked about his father, Harry thought that if he did anything with Draco, it would have to be more real than with the others. He couldn't erase Draco's memory. But at the moment with him, all he could think was how much he wanted Draco, and that he could think of no reason why he shouldn't give it a try.

There was nothing stop him.

'Malfoy.' Harry managed to give his voice a warning tone but didn't back away at the same time.

Draco leaned in. 'Potter.'

Their lips brushed, sending a soaring sensation through his stomach much like Harry had felt when chasing the Snitch. Harry closed his eyes and pulled Draco against him, deepening the kiss and already dreading the moment he would have to let go.


	4. Smile Again

A part of Harry knew that when something sounded too good to be true, that meant it probably was. If everything that had happened between Harry and Draco in his office were real, then it would have stopped at the kiss. Draco would have pulled back horrified at himself. He would have apologised. Or maybe not. Harry didn't remember Draco being big on apologising, but obviously, Harry didn't remember much about Draco at all.

Because after Draco had pushed his tongue into Harry's mouth, Harry pushed Draco back against the floor. And even though something in the back of his mind screamed at him to slow down and take his time with this, he didn't listen.

Harry ripped open Draco's clothes as Draco chanted, 'Yes, Potter, yes, yes.' Then he kissed down his chest, across his hips, sucked on his prick, and then flipped him over to eat his arse. Quick and forceful. Harry lost track of what Draco was saying but knew it was encouraging. 

When Draco rolled over and spread his legs for him, Harry nearly lost it.

Nothing about the way he moved said Draco Malfoy, but just seeing him laid out like that in front of him drove all rational thought from his mind.

Once inside him, Harry finally managed to slow down. 

'Keep your eyes open,' Harry said, and he fucked him, watching Draco's expression shift and change with the intensity of his thrusts. He entwined their fingers and pinned Draco's hands above his head, and squeezed them whenever Draco's eyes started to slip closed.

'Watch me fuck you.' 

Draco's grey eyes widened.

'Fuck, Malfoy.'

It was so hard to go slow. When Draco groaned Harry's hips pounded harder, and he had to catch himself before he completely let go. He closed his eyes for a moment to regain control, and when Harry could open his again, Draco's were still fixed on him.

'Yes, spread your legs for me, Malfoy—' 

Malfoy did as he was told, but he couldn't tell if he spread them or was just bending farther backwards. Either way, it allowed Harry to go deeper.

'Watch me,' Harry said.

'I'm watching you,' Draco said.

'Fuck.'

'I'm watching you fuck me, Potter.'

'Yes, Malfoy, fuck!'

'You want me to watch you?'

'God, Malfoy, I want your eyes on me.' And, fuck did he ever love Draco's eyes watching him. Watching him and letting Harry do whatever Harry felt like doing to him.

'Harder, Harry. Fuck! I want you to fuck me harder.'

'Anything you want, Malfoy. God, yes, anything you want . . .' Harry stopped holding himself back and soon they were both coming, and he collapsed on top of Draco.

While they caught their breath, Draco said, 'I told you, you'd fuck my father if you ever had the chance.'

It was as if the floor beneath them disappeared. 

'Scorpius?'

'I knew you were fixing the memories of the students you fucked.' Scorpius sat up and arched an eyebrow at Harry. 'Did you really think I wouldn't have a safeguard for when I came to meet you? For when you tried to do the same thing to me?'

'Who'd you tell?' Harry was terrified it was Albus.

'I only had to tell myself; It's like your love potion antidote. I write everything down, and I check it every morning.' Scorpius fixed his clothing and then crossed his legs before he continued talking. 'You know, if my father's journal is anything to go by he wouldn't be as adverse to that as you think he is.'

'What?'

Scorpius shrugged and got up. 'Just something I thought you might want to think about.'

'Are you blackmailing me?' Even as Harry's prick jumped again at the thought, anger engulfed him. 'Has this whole thing been about your father?' 

'At what point did I threaten you?'

Harry swallowed. 'It was implied.'

'By the knowledge I have?' Scorpius smirked and then Harry could tell that it wasn't quite the same way that Draco did, even if it was Draco's face. 'I'm not telling you that you have to see my dad or else. I'm just saying you should think about it.'

After brushing their lips together in a soft open-mouthed kiss, Scorpius left Harry to think about.

#

'Is everything okay with you and mom?' Albus asked.

'Yeah,' Harry said. Everything was as it had always been with them. 'Why wouldn't it be?'

Albus shrugged. 'It's just—not that I mind your sudden interest in spending time with me—but it's well, sudden.'

Harry searched for an answer. Was He worried about Albus? Yes, but they'd had that conversation, and it didn't get them far. Albus still hadn't told Harry what was bothering him before. At a loss of where to go with it, he changed the conversation.

'What are you picking at?'

'Oh,' Albus held up the leaves. 'Mint. I chew on it sometimes. It tastes good.'

'Mint?' A chill ran through Harry.

'Yeah.' Albus shrugged, again. 'What? You look terrified.'

'I'm not terrified.' Harry licked his lips. 'Al . . . what is your relationship with Scorpius?'

Albus's eyes widened. 'You know.'

'No, I don't. That's why I'm asking.'

'I meant—You have to have . . . or you wouldn't be asking.'

'You're avoiding.'

Albus took a deep breath. 'Okay, so—you know in the wizarding world this isn't a big thing. They don't care so much about this stuff, and I know in the Muggle world it kind of still is—but I just hope you can see this like wizards do, even though I know that's not how you were raised, and—'

'Whoa, whoa. Albus. What are you talking about?'

'God, dad, are you really that slow? I'm _gay_ , okay. I mean wizards don't call it gay. They just call it two blokes or such, but the Muggles call it gay, so I thought that—anyway. I am. We are. Scorpius and I are together, and we're gay. It's not something that I'm having a problem with, but I just don't want you to . . .'

'You were afraid to tell me because I was raised by Muggles.'

'Are you okay?'

'Yes,' Harry said. 'Of course. What this what's been bothering you?'

Albus bit his lip but didn't answer.

'Who all knows?'

'Um . . .'

'Am I the only one that didn't know?'

'When Aunt Hermione found out she said—'

'Hermione knows, but no one thought to tell me?' 

Albus looked as though Harry had slapped him. 

'It's okay,' Harry said quickly. 'I'm not upset or anything that you like blokes. I'm just surprised everyone kept this from me.'

'Right.' Albus was biting at the mint again.

'Everyone wasn't keeping this from me, were they?'

Albus shook his head.

'I'm sorry, Al.' Harry pulled him into a hug. 'I didn't want to interfere. Trying to be a good teacher at the same time as a good father doesn't mix well. Your grades are quite good, so I guess I failed spectacularly on the father part.'

'You're a great father.'

'Who was too blind to see what everyone else around me could see for how long?'

Al grimaced. 'Three years.' 

'Three? Years?' It was hard to breathe. There went Harry's hope that they weren't sleeping together yet. Being that they were seventeen unless Scorpius started before fourteen, everything he knew he probably learned with Albus. 'I need to sit.'

Al laughed as if Harry made a joke.

Oh, right, they were already sitting by the lake.

'So you're okay with it?'

Harry couldn't say he was okay with him being with Scorpius, but he'd been with Scorpius for much longer than Harry had. As well as there was no way to explain why he suddenly had problem with Scorpius without making it seem like what he really had a problem with was their sexuality.

'Yes.'

'And things are okay with you and mom?' 

'I don't know.' Harry looked out to the lake as he tried to keep himself from falling apart in front of his son. 'Three years?' he asked again looking back at Albus. 'If things were okay with your mom, don't you think she would have told me?'

#

Harry loved his son, but he didn't trust Scorpius. Albus was too trusting. Obviously, he was with letting Scorpius take the map himself whenever he felt like it. But also, when Harry asked to borrow the map for a while and not tell anyone about it, he did without hesitation without even asking Harry who he wanted to spy on. Harry didn't need the map to help him sneak around at night like the boys did, so following someone else would be the only thing he could have wanted the map for.

Whenever he could Harry watched what Scorpius was up to. It didn't look like he was sneaking off with anyone else behind Al's back.

Most of the time Scorpius was with Albus or Rose. They were best friends, so of course they spent a lot of time together. Also, as expected, Al and Scorpius spent a lot of time in each other's beds.

Figuring out Scorpius's schedule, he saw that Harry and Scorpius's random encounters weren't random at all. It felt random to Harry because Scorpius didn't do it every day. But there were certain small blocks of time that Albus was off with Rose or in a different class from Scorpius. Tiny little moments that Scorpius could count on to be alone without anyone worrying about where he went.

Since Harry stayed out of their dorm room, he thought he'd never see it.

It was the middle of the night, and they were in the Astronomy Tower. That should have been a giveaway, but Harry thought they might actually be studying.

They were both far too involved with each other when Harry entered the room to notice him even if he wasn't using a Disillusionment Charm. At first, Harry didn't see them, and when he did, he told himself that if he had, he would have never entered the room to begin with.

But he'd hoped to catch part of their conversation. To see what they talked about in private. To see if Scorpius showed Albus any part of his true self or if he lied to him all the time. A part of him hoped to catch them smoking cigarettes and throwing them out of the tower's windows.

Instead, Harry walked in on them making love.

Scorpius lay under Albus, pulling Al down to him, clawing at his back in a way that Harry had never seen him do before. They’d had sex—so much sex—but it was much different than what he saw before him. Harry didn’t know what he had expected, what he had hoped for. But for Albus, he hoped the needy sounds and adorations of love that were spilling out of Scorpius’s mouth uncontrollably were real.

#

Footsteps came up behind Harry as he was writing out notes for his next class on his chalkboard, and he knew they belonged to Scorpius. Not because he was looking at the map, but because he'd memorised his schedule. Albus slept in on Sunday mornings, and Scorpius went out. Sometimes running by the lake, sometimes reading in the library, sometimes fucking Harry in his office.

'I'm not in the mood.'

'Good,' Scorpius said. 'Neither am I.'

'Then what are you doing here?'

'Albus is worried about you.'

Harry ran a hand through his hair. 'I know he didn't send you, but you can tell him I'm fine.'

'Have you given any thought to what I said?'

'I'm still married.'

Scorpius snorted. 'When was the last time you saw your wife?'

He almost said he saw her every month, but that wasn't true. She travelled a lot for the _Prophet_.

'She left you,' Scorpius said. 'She left months ago.'

'No,' Harry said. The only way Scorpius would know was if Albus told him, and if Albus knew he would have told Harry. He asked about his mother the last time they talked, but he didn't indicate that she'd left Harry.

'Yes, she did. As far as I know, she hasn't told Albus, Lily or James yet, and she clearly hasn't told you—'

'Then how do you know?'

'Because she moved in with one of my father's friends.'

#

It only took Harry twenty minutes to get leave for the evening and be on his way, and only a quarter hour before he was walking through his front door after Apparating from Hogsmeade.

Ginny not being in didn't mean she'd left him.

The house being dark was normal. She had no reason to be home all the time with Albus, Lily and himself at Hogwarts and James off starting his own life. There was no need for a lot of food in the cupboard or there to be dishes in the sink. Their bedroom might have been covered in her dirty clothes years before, but she was taking care of young children then.

But the empty closet and the clean and tidy bathroom told another story.

Many things he could explain away, but not the missing pictures on the walls.

Harry dropped into a chair because the couch was gone.

After taking a deep breath, he owled Draco, because he didn't even know where to start looking for her.

#

After finding a half-empty bottle of bourbon in one of the cupboards, Harry sat drinking it as he waited for Draco's owl to return. It didn't take long, but instead of just answering the question he invited Harry over.

'You're drunk,' were the first words Draco had said to him in years. 'I'll get you some coffee.'

It wasn't because he was drunk, although he was. 

It wasn't because he reeked of alcohol, although he did.

It was because Harry tried to kiss him.

#

'I owled Hogwarts and let them know you'll be out of a few days,' Draco said, 'but I suggest meeting with your kids to make sure they don't worry too much about you.'

Harry squinted against the sun as Draco opened the curtain in the room he'd slept in the night before. It was grand, just like everything else in Malfoy Manor, with blue sheets on the bed and blue walls all around him. Blue was supposed to be a soothing colour. Harry just wanted to vomit.

'Why are you being so nice to me?'

'It's called hospitality, Potter.'

Harry snorted. 'Had you shown up on my doorstep drunk off your arse I would have kicked you out.' No, he wouldn't have. He would have tried to fuck him, but Draco didn't need to know that.

'Good to know.'

'Ugh, Malfoy.' Harry tried to stand but fell back onto the bed. 'I don't mean that. I'm just very confused right now. Apparently my life has been falling apart for years, and I didn't even notice it.'

Malfoy, with his arms across his chest, kept his distance as though he were afraid Harry might try to attack him again.

'I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to offend you. It was just another one of those things I recently found out.'

'That you're into men?'

'No!' Harry hadn't meant to sound so scandalised. 'That Al and Scorpius were . . . dating.'

'Haven't they been together for like—three years?'

Harry slowly tried to stand up again. 'So Al tells me now.'

'Careful,' Draco said, and grabs Harry's arm to help him stand. 'You aren't as young as you used to be. You can't drink off your arse and expect to be able to jump out of bed the next morning.'

'I can't jump out of bed in the morning after _not_ getting drunk the night before.' Harry chuckled. 'I've known I was bisexual for quite a long time, actually. I just had no reason to inform anyone else.'

Draco swallowed. 'What are you saying?' 

'I'm saying that I didn't kiss you last night because I was drunk. I kissed you because I wanted to, and I'd never had the chance before.' Harry was staring at Draco's lips and began to lean in again. 'I know that you are much too attractive for me, but—'

'Our sons are together, so you thought you might have a shot with me?'

Instead of answering, Harry kissed Draco again, and that time Draco didn't push Harry away.

#

Ginny stood in the Malfoy's sitting room refusing to take a seat. The look of shock on her face when she saw Harry there was priceless. Apparently she was a regular visitor with her new boyfriend—Blaise Zabini. Once she recovered, her first words were, 'Well, I guess you finally got what you always wanted,' but Harry couldn't tell if she was looking at him or Draco when she said it. Harry hoped she was talking to both of them if only for what it might mean in the future.

Except, no. She had been all he ever wanted. Her and the kids, living in their cute little cottage, living the perfect little life that the _Prophet_ swore they had. That was all he ever wanted.

'How could you?' Harry asked her.

'How could _I_?' she roared back, and about then Draco and Zabini left them to fight it out.

For a moment, just like every time someone shot Harry an angry look recently, Harry wondered if she knew everything. He knew she didn't when she said, 'Did you even notice I was gone, or did someone have to tell you?'

'I came to the house,' he said because there was no way he'd admit to Scorpius telling him. He didn't want Scorpius's name to come up at all.

'And your first thought after that was to come to _Malfoy_? Hmm, why was that Harry?'

'I heard a rumour and thought he might be able to help me find you, and look at that: here you are.'

Ginny studied him for a moment. 'Someone told you.'

'Okay, fine someone told me.' She didn't need to know who. 'Are you happy?'

'No! I'm not happy! I left you, and you didn't even notice!'

Putting it that way, Harry was lucky she wasn't still the hexing type. He would have deserved whatever she threw at him. Keeping his distance, Harry bit his cheek, but he had to ask.

'How long?'

'Fuck you!'

'Ginny, come on. I need to know.'

'Well, I wanted a husband who was there for me.' She threw her hands in the air. 'You don't always get what you want!'

#

After Ginny left, Zabini told him how long it had been.

'Six months?' 

Zabini and Draco shared a look and then Draco asked, 'Do you think anyone might have hexed you?'

'What possible hex could—' Harry shook his head. 'No, I don't think anyone hexed me. I think we just slowly grew apart, and I was so used to her not being there that I didn't notice when she finally left me. She always travelled a lot. First, when she played for the Harpies, and later when she began writing for the _Prophet_." 

Harry looked at Zabini.

'Didn't you play Quidditch?'

'At Hogwarts,' Zabini said, 'but not professionally.'

'Perhaps, you should go,' Draco said, and neither Harry nor Zabini was going to argue with that. 

After Zabini had left, Draco began again. 'Have you written to the children?'

'I don't know what to say.'

'I guess you haven't really discussed arrangements yet.' 

Harry laughed bitterly. 'Discuss probably won't be in Ginny's vocabulary for a while. How did you get through it?'

'Through what?'

'Your divorce?'

Draco glared at Harry. 'My wife died.'

'Oh.'

'Are you absolutely sure that no one hexed or poisoned you?'

'Yes, Malfoy. I just really am this pathetic. I was busy teaching, and I can see why so few of our teachers were ever married. I don't know how Neville balances it all.' 

'Hmm, well.' Draco came and sat down next to Harry. 'His wife does live in Hogsmeade. I'd imagine that makes it a bit easier.'

That he wasn't sleeping with multiple students and didn't worry so much about his next meeting with whom and keeping it hidden from everyone probably helped a great deal, too. 

'Plus,' Harry said. 'He doesn't have any kids . . . nor to my knowledge does he constantly lust after men he can't have.'

Draco stood. 'You should get back to Hogwarts.'

'Thanks.'

'Tell them the truth. That's all you can do, and after this mess is all settled . . . I'm not so far out of reach.' Draco grabbed a handful of Floo Powder and let it slip through his fingers into Harry's hand. 'Good luck.'

#

Lily and Al gave each other a knowing look as soon as they saw their father waiting for them by the lake in his usual spot. Harry took a deep breath. They didn't seem upset, but that could be because he wasn't there for them when they would have realised and then accepted that their parents would be getting a divorce. He rubbed his face and waited for them to sit down.

'I'm sorry,' Harry said. They didn't even understand what for, but he kept repeating it. 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

'It's not your fault, dad.' Lily leaned against him.

Fault didn't even begin to cover it.

'How long have you known?' he asked them, and that time Albus answered.' Probably a couple of years now.'

'We thought that was why you worked so hard,' Lily said. 'So that you wouldn't have to think about all the fighting with mom.' 

'I should have been here for you kids.'

'We're fine,' Albus said. He was picking grass and throwing it toward the lake, but it didn't come close to touching it. 'It's you—' 

'And mum,' Lily cut it.

'And mum, we were worried about.'

Harry wrapped his arms around both of them and kissed their heads.

'It's our job to be here for you; it's not yours to take care of us.'

'Sure it is, dad,' Albus said.

'Yeah,' Lily agreed. 'That's what family is for. We take care of each other.'

#

School was out and Harry had never been so glad for summer vacation in his life.

'Can you believe it?' Lily said as she walked with Harry toward the train. 'Albus is leaving school this year. People are going to see him as an adult now. It was weird enough with James because he makes a joke out of everything, but Albus is still so . . .'

'What?' Harry asked.

'Naive.' 

'Why do you say that?'

Lily shrugged. 'I don't know just he thinks Scorpius hung the moon and that they'll be together forever. I know uncle Ron and aunt Hermione stayed together but look at you and mom. No offense, but that's the more common outcome. People change.'

'Or you see sides of them you never thought existed before,' Harry added.

'He's going to live at Malfoy Manor, and I bet Mr Malfoy loses it within a week, and he'll be back at mom's house.'

'I doubt he'll have much trouble with Draco.'

Lily's eyebrows rose at Harry use of Draco's given name.

'It'll be fine.' Harry hugged her. 'I'll be there.'

'You're not going back to the house.'

'Um, I kind of don't own it.' Harry grimaced. 'Long story short, I wasn't around when your mum bought it, so I didn't get to sign the papers. It's alright. I don't want it.'

'Isn't it a little early to be moving in with your new . . . boyfriend?' Lily guessed at the end.

'At our age Lily, we don't have much time to waste, and I've already wasted too much.'

Harry smiled.

'It's good to see you smile again, dad.'

He kissed her head and sent her off with her friends. It was good to see her smile again.


	5. You'll Get Your Turn

It was Harry's first time with Draco.

They tried not to build it up too much, but Harry did. Damn it, he did. Scorpius could read what Harry wanted, or maybe it was more he just went with what Harry wanted to get information out of him, to figure out what it was that Harry liked and wanted. Draco had his own wants and desires, and Harry hadn't dealt with sex with someone who wasn't satisfied with simply being with Harry whatever that took.

Or manipulating the fuck out of Harry as with Scorpius.

In the beginning, even Ginny was like that. Harry Potter was fucking her on his desk. It didn't matter that he didn't know what the fuck he was doing, or that he couldn't make her come that first time, the second time, third or fourth time. That he was utterly lost didn't begin to matter until after that.

And then he'd found the love potions, and he wasn't the greatest at what he did, but he made up for it with enthusiasm. 

Owen came not from Harry's skill, but because Harry Potter was on his knees sucking his dick. It was one of the nicer things about them never remembering the encounters. Every time was the first time, and they were always amazed by it.

Draco Malfoy wasn't going to come just because Harry Potter kissed and licked every spot on his body; although he sure seemed to enjoy that part. He wasn't going to come from any of Harry's sloppy lovemaking no matter how much both of them tried, no matter that Harry came in under a minute because Draco Malfoy—the real Draco Malfoy—had his mouth on his penis.

Harry was as enthusiastic as he could be without a love potion, and it wasn't enough.

'It's okay,' Draco said. 'I'd imagine it's been a really long time for you.' 

The thing about teenage boys was that they could come from rubbing up against their sheets at night. Harry couldn't really tell if the girls came or not, but they'd always seemed happy after regardless. He thought they had. But he'd thought so many wrong things over the last few weeks, and he couldn't be sure anymore. 

The only person he'd had sex with who wasn't enamored with him had been Scorpius, and Harry was fairly sure that he'd been faking it the whole time. Scorpius knew what he was doing.

'Fuck, Harry, don't cry.'

'I'm not.'

'It's seriously okay.'

#

Somehow—and Merlin did Harry not want to know how—Scorpius found out.

Maybe he instinctively knew the problem. He had sex with Harry more than anyone else that remembered other than Ginny, and Draco was in a foul mood because even though he said _he was doing no such thing_ when Scorpius said, 'Don't take this out on my father,' he had lied.

And though Scorpius didn't say anything "fix this or else" was implied.

Watching him with Albus was probably not what he would have suggested.

This time, Scorpius was on top. The eye contact thing was apparently a big thing with them. As well as talking. Harry had been too embarrassed to talk much the last time with Draco. Although he hadn't been at all when Scorpius had used Polyjuice to become him. It was much too early for Harry to tell Draco he loved him. They said it a lot. They said it more than they cursed. And, of course, they were teenaged boys. Older teenagers. But still teenagers.

He watched them moving together. He watched them kissing and nuzzling their foreheads together like cats. He watched as sweat dripped from one of them to the other. And then he thought about how that's what love potions smell like to Scorpius. He watched them until he couldn't stand to watch them anymore. 

They were real.

What he felt for Draco was real, and that's why he couldn't talk, why he got so nervous.

Harry had no idea how to do real.

#

Scorpius found Harry one morning while Draco was at work and Albus was out at an interview for an internship he was hoping to get.

'If you wanted help, you could have just asked.'

Harry groaned. 'How did you know?'

Scorpius just smirked. 'I guessed, but you confirmed it. I thought I saw a shadow . . . put two and two together.'

'I really should write that recommendation to the Aurors for you.'

'I'd appreciate it.' Scorpius climbed into his lap.

'You could have just asked.'

'I thought I had.' 

Polyjuiced as Draco, Scorpius demanded it. Harry didn't know why he didn't write it. No, he did. Because it had turned out to be a game. Scorpius had just been playing at being Draco, and it was the only way that Harry could get revenge on him. It was the one small place that he had control.

Harry blushed. 'Not like that.'

'How about we make a deal?' Scorpius asked. 'You write the letter, and we'll switch positions, and I'll teach you how to work your mouth to bring someone else off for once.'

Rolling his eyes, Harry pushed Scorpius gently off his lap, and they switched positions.

'Yeah?'

'Yeah,' Harry said.

'Okay, first, it helps if you are enjoying yourself. That part you should know. That's why you loved the love potions so much. Most of those kids had probably never done anything with anyone else before.'

'Don't talk about them.' Harry took Scorpius in his mouth and sucked slightly just enjoying being where he was for a moment. 

'Good, okay and then just look at my face. Watch how I'm reacting to what you are doing.'

Harry pulled back. 'Are you going to be real this time?'

'There would be no point in me, not this time.'

Harry closed his eyes. He wanted Scorpius to say he'd always been real. That a little part of him at least really enjoyed what they did together. Nodding he leaned back in and looked up feeling his tongue around Scorpius's prick until he made a face Harry liked. He kept doing it over and over.

'Change it up or it will get overly sensitive.'

Harry did what he was told, and they worked for Harry didn't know how long before he heard a door open in the distance. They both jumped. Only a few seconds later Albus walked through the door calling their names.

'There you are!' He ran to Scorpius and kissed him chastely on the mouth. 

Scorpius smiled at him innocently and grabbed his hand before dragging him out of the room and upstairs to—fuck, probably to finish what he had started with Harry.

#

Harry was alone in the sitting room at Malfoy Manor waiting for Draco to come downstairs the next afternoon. Scorpius came in and slowly walked toward Harry in a way that Harry used to think of as seductive, and if Harry'd been Albus he still might have thought of it that way. Instead, Harry could see the calculating look in his eyes.

When Scorpius bent over his chair and leaned in to kiss him, Harry asked, 'Where's Albus?'

Scorpius didn't pull back. 'Upstairs, bathing.'

'I don't like you with my son.'

Although that wasn't half of it. Harry couldn't stand the idea of him with his son, even if what Albus felt for him was real. Because Scorpius wasn't the person Albus thought he was. Scorpius was more like Harry than Harry could ever have imagined.

'Well, too bad, because I'm never leaving Albus.' Scorpius stared at Harry waiting, but then sneered at him and backed off. 'Are you going to tell on me? Tell him what _we've_ done. If that's the reason you want to end our relationship, isn't that a little hypocritical of you? Are you going to stay out of his life?'

'I'm his father—' Harry stopped because he wasn't sure who Albus would be more upset at if he ever found out, and he never wanted him to find out. 'This—' Harry gestured between them. 'Is over.'

Scorpius smiled, and Harry couldn't tell what he meant by it. Still, even after their relationship had ended, Scorpius had all the control. 

As Scorpius began to walk away, Harry said, ‘You’re more of a Slytherin than your father.’

Scorpius spun around. ‘That’s why I’m a Ravenclaw,’ he said, glaring at Harry. 

Harry’s jaw went slack at the sight of Scorpius stalking back toward him in a rage. He’d seen many sides of Scorpius, especially this last year, but he’d never seen him this angry.

‘The Sorting Hat places you based on what you value, not on what you are.’ His voice dripped with venom. ‘That’s why Professor Longbottom could ask the hat to place him in Hufflepuff—as he would have fit in much better there—but it still placed him in Gryffindor. Because you can’t fool the hat on what you actually value. It’s why overzealous readers like my father and Rose’s mother weren’t in Ravenclaw because you can value learning and still see other things as more important to character. 

‘My father was cunning and ambitious, but also valued those things above all else. His best friends, who were also Slytherins, also valued cunning and ambition, but clearly not in themselves. They were the opposite of cunning and respected ambition. There’s a difference. Rose’s mother respects bravery, Professor Longbottom respects bravery. That’s what Gryffindors value: the illusion of fearless bravery. 

‘Unlike my grandfather—who idolized and worshiped the values of cunning and ambition, wearing them like a badge, keeping his cunning traits from ever being hidden, even in a world he knew hated them and him because of it—my father never lied to me. He saw my ambition, my clever tricks at a young age and warned me: that in Slytherin it will always be three against one. That nothing you accomplish will be acknowledged as deserved but stolen, that you’ll always be the suspect in every altercation because, in everyone’s mind, liar is printed across your chest. 

‘Well, I’m sorry, but fuck that! 

‘I don’t value cunning and ambition above all else. I value using cunning and ambition wisely above all else. That’s why, when the hat stalled on me, I became a Ravenclaw. It’s why I have the ability to be truly cunning, whereas brilliant as my father _is_ , his hands were and have always been tied behind his back with a green and silver tie.

‘And, as always, you’re so focused on the negatives of self-preservation that you refuse to see the positives. Albus has been my friend since I was eleven years old, and you think I would let anything hurt him? You think I’d hurt my own father? No. I’ll never let you hurt them. You can twist this however you want in your mind to make you feel better about yourself, telling yourself I’m evil, and I’m the one in the wrong here, but we wouldn’t be here if you hadn’t been fucking your students in the first place.

'It doesn't matter that you've stopped now. What's done is already done, and no matter how many years pass, the world will turn on you if they ever find out. But so that you can quit looking at me as though at any moment I'm going to tell everyone everything, what I want from you is extremely simple: be the father you should have always been and keep my father happy. If you are as happy with him as you seem to be, and you love your son as much as you say you do, then that shouldn't be too difficult of a task.'

Harry sat stunned as he tried to take in all the information Scorpius had just given him, and Scorpius took the opportunity to excuse himself as Albus was waiting for him.

A few minutes later Draco joined him. He came in and looked much like Scorpius had as he walked toward him, slipped into Harry's lap, and kissed him. Harry kissed him back and tried to get lost in it, but couldn't with Scorpius's words still floating through his mind.

Draco pulled back and threaded his finger through Harry's hair. 'Is everything alright?'

'Yeah,' Harry said, kissing Draco again. But no. Nothing was alright. Harry was the only person in the world who knew who Scorpius really was, and he had complete control over Harry. Even though Harry didn't want him anymore. He never wanted to touch him again. 

At the same time, Scorpius was right. 

He was giving Harry everything he wanted. He'd destroyed his family, and Scorpius had found a way to keep it for the most part together. Because Draco was his father, Harry's kids already knew him and got on with him well. All Harry had to do was learn how to please Draco, and since he actually wanted to learn that anyway—this should not be a problem. He was inventing problems where there were none. If he could obliviate himself and make it all go away, he would. Forget every touch except for Ginny and Draco's and build his life from there.

He'd ask Scorpius to do it, but he still couldn't bring himself to trust him.

'You seem a little off.'

Harry smiled at Draco and shook his head. 'It's fine. I'm just thinking.'

'About next year?'

'Yeah,' Harry lied. 

'I can visit you—' Draco smirked. 'There are a few places I wouldn't mind visiting with you.'

Harry swallowed and smiled. There were plenty of places he'd dreamed about being with Draco in, too. His classroom, the Potion's classroom, the Quidditch Pitch. 

'Hey!' Harry said. 'I have an idea—wait here.' 

Twenty minutes later, Harry was bounding down the stairs carrying a broom.

'No,' Draco said as soon as he saw Harry walking up to him dressed in Quidditch gear. 'We are far too old for that. One of us will end up in St. Mungo's.'

'Just a Seeker's game.'

Draco rolled his eyes, but Harry could tell he was interested. He was going to give in.

'That's all we've ever played.' Yet he smiled and went to see if he could still fit into his old gear.

It had been years since Harry'd flown, and God had he missed it. But he thought he might have missed flying with Draco more. He felt like a teenager again, and not just because his dick acted like one. 

After Harry had caught the Snitch, just like he always did, he tackled Draco on their way back into the Manor and fell into a patch of flowers. Kissing Draco, he slowly went down on him right there. 

'Fuck, Harry,' Draco said. 'My mother is going to kill us if we ruin her flowers.'

Something about the way Draco said it solidified Harry's resolve, and he refused to let go until he made Draco come without a love potion. His jaw hurt by the time it was over. But it was worth it. Draco pushed Harry back and returned the favour.

'Draco,' Harry moaned out a warning and was coming in his mouth. Then Draco was kissing him, and they were both smiling. The flowers were strong and so familiar. Harry shot up, scaring Draco with his movement. These were the flowers from his potion. It'd been so long. They must have been what Scorpius was talking about smelling at both the Burrow and the Manor.

'What are these?' Harry demanded.

'Are you allergic?' Draco asked. 'Are you hurt?'

'No, just—they're part of what I smell from Amortentia.'

'Oh,' Draco said in relief. 'They're narcissuses. They're the flower my mother was named after. What? You look confused?'

'I don't think I'm in love with your mother.'

Draco bit his lip and shook his head and kissed Harry again. 'You're adorable.' Draco rolled his eyes. 'You don't get it do you?'

'Scorpius said that the person doesn't necessarily smell like the potion. They're clues.'

'And you smell the flower named after my mother,' Draco pointed out. 'She's not the only one my family people call a narcissist. Besides, if you are looking for the smell connection, these are a pretty strong flower. If the Weasleys have them in their garden, you probably smelled it on both of us. But I'm smiling at you, you complete, utter fool, because you kind of just told me you loved me. If rolling around with me after Quidditch in a flower bed is your love potion.'

'There are a lot of people I could do that with, though.'

'Everyone had a different personal smell, Harry. Lying with me will smell different than lying with Ginny, even if it was the same flower bed after the same Quidditch game.'

#

The next morning, Albus and Scorpius sat laughing and sharing toast when Harry entered the breakfast room. It amazed Harry how they had a room for everything at the Manor, but with a house that big and so few people living it, he supposed they felt that was normal. Albus loved it. He smiled at Harry as he walked in.

'Morning, dad!' He had a wry grin on his face, and Harry's stomach clenched. He forced a smile, and when Albus went back to his toast, Harry looked over to Scorpius.

'Come in, Mr Potter, and eat something.' Scorpius gestured to the food in front of him. 'I'm sure you can find something you like. Dad likes the fruit, so leave him some if you chose that. He should be down . . . right about now,' he finished as Draco entered the room.

'Morning.' He kissed Harry on the cheek as he walked passed him. 'Come on, don't be shy.'

Harry walked slowly to the table as if he were in the middle of a chess game and his every move was being watched, being judged. At the same time, he watched Draco, Scorpius, and Albus, trying to see beneath their surface. They all looked happy. Content. Naive. 

'You should try the maple syrup, Mr Potter,' Scorpius said. 'It's great.'

Both Draco and Albus wrinkled their noses at it, and Harry knew that Scorpius put something in it just for him. Suddenly even Scorpius looked Naive.

'No, thanks. I think I'll stick with the fruit.' 

There was a treacle tart near his plate, but he knew not to eat it.

#

Later in the afternoon, Harry found himself alone with Scorpius. They were outside watching Draco try to teach Albus how to fly a broom. He'd learned at Hogwarts, but was afraid of heights and didn't get very far with it. Harry thought he was just showing off to Scorpius. Showing him that he could face one of his fears.

'I thought you liked love potions,' Scorpius said.

Harry shook his head. 'I don't need them anymore.'

'At all?' Scorpius looked surprised. 'I didn't think they were easy to quit without a heavy withdrawal, and haven't you been on them for years?'

'I don't need them with your father.'

Scorpius looked like he didn't believe Harry.

'That's what you'd want your father to believe, right? If it ever came out that I was addicted to them? He'd love that story, wouldn't he?'

'Just because something is difficult doesn't make it impossi—' 

'That's right,' Harry cut him off, 'because you would _never_ do anything to hurt Albus or your father, right? And finding out about my addiction would hurt them. If that knowledge wouldn't, then that I still use them or that you used them on me to get me in bed with you, most certainly would.'

'How did you no?'

'The Weasleys send me a list of anyone who ever buys even a single potion from them. You were smart and went to many different places, but you went to them once. If you were using it to get Al, then you'd have to either learn to brew it yourself or go elsewhere, at least, two or three times for it to last three years.'

'I would never do that to Al,' Scorpius said.

'And you didn't use it to get me interested in your father after you found out that he had a crush on me at Hogwarts?'

'Only to get you to think about it—' 

'You had me there for so long. Every time I had a thought, you already had it. Every time I turned a corner you were already there. But it doesn't matter that we've stopped now, does it, Scorpius? What's done is already done, and no matter how many years pass it would destroy Albus and your father if they ever find out. You have no power over me without giving up everything you care about.

'So, no, I don't have to play by your rules anymore.' Harry smirked. 'But you can quit worrying about me telling everyone everything. What I want from you is extremely simple: keep my son and your father happy.'

Which, of course, included never telling them not only about all the things that had already happened but what Harry did from that point forward.

Scorpius's scowl slowly changed into his fake smile that no one but Harry could see through.

'Wouldn't you make Slytherin proud?' Scorpius asked.

#

A Slytherin sixth year had been subtly batting her eyes at Harry all through class. A few years before and her being a Slytherin would have made him nervous, but it didn't anymore. She sat diagonally from his daughter Lily, who looked ready to hex the girl.

'Ruth,' Harry said, catching her off guard. 'Pay attention to the _lecture_ or I'll have to drop you from the class. As it is, you already earned yourself a detention for this evening.'

Everyone laughed at her, and Lily gave Harry a grateful smile.

'Now, if we can continue . . . on page 138 . . .'

It wasn't difficult for Harry, without even looking at her, to remember the last time—two days ago—clinging to his desk as she screamed _harder_ , _faster_ , _fuck me, yes, Professor_ —or a week ago—how she got on her knees begging him to let her taste his prick.

Harry looked at her as she blushed from the embarrassment he caused her when he scanned the classroom to make sure everyone else was dutifully taking notes. Zach with his head down, glancing at Harry as he took notes. Lily was next to him, as always—slouched and twisting her hair around her pinky as she wrote. He smiled at Ruth when she glared at him.

During the practical part of the lesson, he helped Ruth just like any other student. She'd have detention with him later anyway. It wasn' her first detention, and it wouldn't be her last. Though she got better at hiding her flirting, she still _did_ it. Since embarrassing her wasn't enough, he might have to threaten to write a note to her parents. Maybe mention having a meeting with her mother, who was a rather fetching woman much closer to his age. It would more than likely keep her in line during classes.

Ruth would enter the detention sulking like she often did. Oliver already bent over the lines Harry assigned him. Harry would lock and silence the door and come to stand in front of his desk and ask them:

'You find me attractive, even though . . .' He'd let them fill in the blank.

'Well, you are Harry Potter,' Oliver would say, 'and there is sex appeal in that.'

'Hmm,' Harry would say. 'What about Professor Longbottom?'

Ruth'll shrug. 'Yeah, he's fit, but he's more Amy's type.'

Sitting back in her seat, she'd study him as she tried to figure out where he was going with the conversation. He'd just shot her down in front of a room full of people, but as he'd hold eye contact, her mind would race through the possibilities. He'd eat a piece of chocolate and then offer them both each one, and they stared at him as they ate it. Wondering if they were forgiven and hoping for more than forgiveness. 

Harry might not need the love potions, but he'll still enjoy them.

'Oliver, love,' Harry would say. 'Tell me what you were daydreaming about in class today, and Ruth come do everything he describes.'

'What if I can't?'

'I'm sure we can improvise, and don't pout, Oliver. You'll get your turn.'

**Author's Note:**

> Please feel free to comment here, on [livejournal](http://hp-darkarts.livejournal.com/127462.html), or in both places.


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